12 global brands agree to new binding deal for factory safety in Bangladesh's garment industry

Published 06 Aug,2021 via The Financial Express - A dozen global brands have so far agreed to sign a fresh legally binding agreement to continue factory safety work in Bangladesh's garment industry, according to Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC).

On the other hand, more than another dozen stalled their negotiations back-tracking on an earlier decision to continue the programme, it said in a statement.

Apparel brands that responded positively to the CCC's call to support individual brand accountability, independent oversight and expansion are UK companies ASOS (Topman, Topshop, Miss Selfridge, HIIT) and Tesco, Japanese brand UNIQLO (Fast Retailing), German brands Tchibo, Esprit and KiK, and Dutch brands G-Star, Hunkemöller, Zeeman, Wibra and Schijvens.

The CCC on Wednesday launched a public tracker showing which garment brands are advocates of a new strong binding agreement on factory safety and which are an obstacle to progress in the field of worker safety.

According to the CCC tracker, more than a dozen brands have thus far acted as obstacles to a new agreement or failed to use their considerable power to make a difference.

They include Swedish brand H and M, Spanish company Inditex (Zara, Pull and Bear) and UK brands Next, Primark, Marks and Spencer, and Matalan.

The rest are German companies Otto, Aldi North and South, Lidl, Takko, and s. Oliver, Danish company Bestseller (Only, Vero Moda, Jack and Jones), Belgian-German-Dutch company C and A, Polish company LPP (Reserved), and Dutch brand WE fashion.

The tracker exhorted major companies like H and M and Bestseller (Vero Moda, Jack and Jones) for not using their considerable power to ensure that advances on supply chain factory safety are maintained.

"All these companies have considerable power in the process, because they have over 75 supplier factories in Bangladesh or are directly representing other brands at the negotiating table."

The Accord on Fire and Building Safety is a ground-breaking safety initiative, established in response to the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse.

Another report adds: Industrial Bangladesh Council (IBC) on Thursday made a six-point demand including vaccination of readymade garment (RMG) workers shortly, no wage cut and July wage payment by August 07.

Expressing deep concern on the overall situation of the country's garment workers, the IBC in a statement said thousands of garment workers who went to their respective villages to celebrate Eid endured immense suffering to join their workplaces due to the sudden reopening of factories from August 01 amid the suspension of transportation and ongoing lockdown.

Though government relaxed movement of vehicles from July 31 night to August 01 evening, workers reportedly paid high cost to return to their respective workplaces.

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