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 .
