Rana Plaza - ten years on

On 24 April 2013, over 1,100 people were killed and thousands more were injured in the collapse of a building on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh which housed several garment factories making clothes for Benetto, Primark, Matalan, Mango , Costa and other major brands.

The fate of the Rana Plaza building turned into a tragedy because workers were forced by their bosses to come to work in a place inspectors had previously ordered closed for safety reasons.It would be the worst factory tragedy in the history of the Garment industry. 

The predominately female workforce was pressured by management in to work that fateful day despite large structural cracks having been discovered in the building just the day before. The catastrophe that was entirely preventable was followed by a heightened struggle for justice for the Rana Plaza workers and safe factories for all. Campaigners and trade unions in Bangladesh heroically forced action – despite facing powerful, even violent, opposition.

The tragedy exposed the dire conditions in much of the world's fashion industry – and the corporate elite which profit from them.and  meant no longer could consumers, workers or governments simply turn a blind eye  to the dangers facing workers every day. And saw a growing cohort of consumers  behaving as citizens,  people who are no longer satisfied with opaque supply chains, the unethical treatment of people. and reignited a conversation about the social responsibility of clothing companies. There were rumblings of this movement in the 90s when Nike and GAP were exposed for using child labour in sweatshops. But the conversation had stalled somewhere in the mid-2000s as fast fashion brands increased in size and offering.  More than ever before people wanted to know the dirty little secrets behind the brands, and who they could  buy from with a clear conscience.

There is also now thankfully greater awareness about how our clothes are produced .given that well-known high street brands are understood to be among the companies who were sourcing clothes from the Rana Plaza building

Ten years since the deadliest garment factory disaster in history, industry leaders say working conditions have improved in the country, mainly thanks to an accord on fire and building safety that was signed by dozens of brands in the immediate aftermath of the collapse.

But the power imbalance between big brands and Bangladeshi suppliers persists, and victims are still campaigning for justice and compensation.

Marking the 10th anniversary, UK MPs and campaign groups have issued calls for solidarity with garment workers. 19 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons on the anniversary.

The EDM, sponsored by Labour MP Apsana Begum says that the House “is concerned at the ongoing poor labour conditions, low wages and unsafe work environments, with a high incidence of work-related accidents and deaths, faced by workers in the garment sector worldwide;

 “is alarmed at the ongoing suppression of trade union and collective bargaining rights in the garment industry and that since the covid-19 pandemic there is evidence of worsening health and safety standards, increased gender discrimination and reports of concerning levels of workplace gender-based violence and harassment;

“recognises that without the ability to organise, workers are inhibited from fully securing improved working conditions and/or challenging abuse; and believes that all workers deserve a workplace that provides them with a living wage, decent working conditions and trade union rights including the right to refuse unsafe work, to take strike action and collectively bargain.”

Former Labour frontbenchers Rebecca Long-Bailey, John McDonnell and Richard Burgon are among the signatories, along with Plaid Cymru MP Hywel Williams, SNP MP Carol Monaghan and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

On Sunday, campaigners from the Rana Plaza Solidarity Collective organised a ‘Cost of Fashion’ walking tour visiting high street stores on Oxford Street in London. The group, which includes NGOs and campaign groups including War on Want, No Sweat and Labour Behind the Label, commemorated those who died in the building collapse and called for brands to “put people before profits”.

The Rana Plaza Solidarity Collective is calling on all clothing companies to sign up to the International Accord, to ensure a disaster like Rana Plaza never happens again.The Accord – set up by the global union federations IndustriALL and Uni Global – was first signed in May 2013 in the aftermath of the international outrage at what happened. It is about creating an inspection and remediation program to mitigate fire, building, electrical and boiler safety risks for factory workers, along with providing complaints mechanisms for workers to file grievances about health and safety concerns and violations of their right to organise. However, many clothing brands  including Levi’s  have not joined the Accord. Despite over 50,000 people have signed a petition calling for them to do so.

The unfortunate truth is that, a decade on, poor labour conditions, low wages and unsafe work environments – with a high incidence of work-related accidents and deaths – still persist in the garment sector worldwide. By signing the Accord, brands would have to allow independent safety inspectors into those supplier factories as well as guaranteeing basic health and safety provisions for workers.

Tyrone Scott, from anti-poverty campaigning charity War on Want said: “The deadly Rana Plaza disaster was not an unavoidable accident – it was an entirely preventable disaster. Rana Plaza workers who made clothes for several UK high street fashion brands had previously raised safety concerns but were ignored. A decade on and garment workers are still facing unsafe working conditions and poverty wages. Clothing brands must urgently sign the International Accord on Fire and Building Safety and commit to guaranteeing safe workplaces, for genuine justice for the victims of Rana Plaza – and for all garment workers.”

In Pakistan, unions have taken the example of the Bangladesh Accord and are working to adapt it to their own national circumstances. Starting in 2018, labour organisations in Pakistan have been campaigning for a Pakistan Accord on Fire and Building Safety.

The Pakistan Accord is a legally binding agreement between global unions, IndustriALL and UNI Global Union, and garment brands and retailers for an initial term of three years starting in 2023. The factory listing of these brands would cover approximately 300-400 facilities in Pakistan. The program in Pakistan will include key features from the 2021 International Accord. 

35 global brands and retailers have now signed the Pakistan Accord. We should carry on calling on major brands and retailers to sign the Pakistan Accord and demand the industry protects progress so that a disaster like Rana Plaza never happens again.

As we remember the victims of Rana Plaza their families, husbands, wives, children, mothers and brothers, all left mourning a loved one.Let's not forget  that no individual has been yet held accountable for corporate manslaughter for the Rana Plaza disaster. While the factory owner, Sohel Rana, has been charged with murder, his trial has been delayed and he was recently presented bail.

Some survivors and families of victims claim they are yet to receive any compensation. Most of the survivors of the collapse are still living in poverty. According to a recent study conducted by ActionAid Bangladesh, some 55 per cent of survivors remain unemployed, mainly due to their physical injuries.

"Some survivors now beg for a living. Our primary demand is for all survivors to receive compensation for their lifetime of lost income, amounting to 48 lacs taka [approximately US$45,660] each,” says Mahmudul Hasan Hridoy, president of the Rana Plaza Survivors Association of Bangladesh. But so far, the provision of fair compensation has been elusive.

We must continue to demand compensation , medical treatment for life for all those effected and judgement for the culprits involved, while we carry on expressing  our anger at companies who disregard their workers safety in their supply chains in their thirst for profit.

Whether it’s in the UK or Bangladesh or beyond, all workers deserve a workplace that provides them with a living wage, decent working conditions and trade union rights including the right to refuse unsafe work.We should continue to tell  the fashion industry to make human rights and basic safety non-negotiable for all .