Clothing brands extend Bangladesh Accord to 2021

Leading clothing brands will extend for another three years until 2021 their commitment to carry out expert building safety inspections at garment factories in Bangladesh following the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, which claimed the lives of more than 1,100 workers.

Trade companies and unions announced today in Paris a new Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh The accord builds on the achievements of the first Bangladesh Accord signed four years ago and was due to expire in 2018.

IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union said in a press release that the new agreement continues the legally binding framework of the previous accord while also adding greater protection for workers whose factories are closed or relocated due to the implementation of the measures. It also introduces compensations for workers in case they lose their jobs due to the agreement.

Further, the accord recognises the importance of workers’ right to organize and join a union to ensure they can take action about safety issues and establish report procedures when it comes to safety threats.

It also expands the coverage of factories to companies that were not originally included in the agreement, such as footwear and home textiles manufacturers.

Key elements from the 2013 accord are included in the new agreement, including the legally binding framework that forces brands to require their suppliers to comply with safety standards, and ensures there is sufficient funding to address improvements.

Some 2.5 million textile workers were covered by the first agreement, which has led to inspections at more than 1,800 factories, identifying 118,500 hazards.

32 factories were found to have major structural problems and were shut down, with some being immediately evacuated by workers. A number of those factories will be renovated, said the organisations.

According to signatory brands of the new accord, there have been no new deaths due to fire or landslides at the factories where safety inspections have been carried out.

The nine floors of Rana Plaza collapsed on 24 April 2013, killing 1,134 people and injuring several thousand workers who were employed by the five garment factories headquartered in the building. The factories supplied more than 30 global fashion brands.