19 fashion firms sign Bangladesh safety accord

More fashion companies and retailers have committed to signing the legally binding, enforceable and transparent Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh with the global association of trade unions IndustriALL, UNI and Bangladeshi unions as

well as the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) as a witness.

After PVH (Calvin Klein/Tommy Hilfiger) and German retailer Tchibo signed an earlier version of the agreement and then the biggest buyers in Bangladesh, H&M and Inditex committed to the current one, other fashion companies followed suit.

So far, 15 more brands have pledged their support to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, bringing the total number to 19. Among them are the British brands Tesco, Marks & Spencer and the N. Brown Group as well as Primark, Kik, Aldi, C&A, Hess Natur, El Corte Ingles, Mango, Stockmann, Carrefour, G-Star, Benetton and Helly Hansen.

Consumer pressure crucial to success

According to the Clean Clothes Campaign, more than one million consumers worldwide had signed petitions for international brands sourcing from Bangladesh to sign the legally binding Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh before the deadline on May 15th. Though the Clean Clothes Campaign welcomes the decision by all the companies mentioned, it also requests others to follow their good example.

“We now call upon all major brands sourcing from Bangladesh to prevent any more deaths and sign this agreement before the deadline of the 15th. With 1,250 workers killed in the last six months in Bangladesh, it is now time for companies to move beyond vague promises, business-as-usual self-regulatory schemes and rhetoric, and to sign a binding safety agreement that can finally bring an end to the horror in Bangladesh,“ said CCC’s Ineke Zeldenrust.

The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh determines important measures for improving working conditions in the country. Among those are independent inspections of supplier factories, public reporting, training and mandatory repairs and renovations. Furthermore, the participating companies pledge to accept and implement the safety measures and to potentially end ties with those factories and suppliers that reject or fail to implement them.

Central to the success of the Accord is also the financial commitment of retailers and brands to bear the costs for factory repairs and the necessary safety measures. This prevents a stalling of the plan’s implementation because of a lack funds. In addition, workers and unions will play a more important role and oversee and implement worker-led safety committees.

Image: Bangladesh Summer Fashion/Clean Clothes Campaign