When a factory in Bangladesh collapsed eight years ago and hundreds of people died, the fashion industry decided to act. But new improvements for women workers could now be at risk.
Trade unions and non-governmental organizations warn that the situation of women workers in textile factories in Bangladesh could worsen again.
The reason: A legally binding agreement on fire protection and building safety in factories, which large fashion chains and trade unions concluded after the collapse of a factory building in Rana Plaza with more than 1,100 dead eight years ago, is due to expire at the end of August.
The accident revealed problems in the supply chains of cheap clothes to the world. Bangladesh is the world’s largest clothing manufacturer after China. According to the company, the agreement called Accord achieved that more than 120,000 security risks were resolved in almost 1,600 factories.
There is now a successor agreement that, after a transition period, is to take over control of factories entirely from Accord from September onwards. The Ready Made Garments Sustainability Council (RSC) includes trade unions and fashion chains as well as factory owners. But according to trade unions and non-governmental organizations, the RSC is significantly less effective.
Under Accord, problems between factory inspectors, fashion chains and workers have been resolved, says trade unionist Babul Akhter of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation. Meanwhile, however, factory owners have been pushing to resolve problems only locally between them and workers under the RSC. There are also fears that factory inspectors will be less able to work independently if the Accord expires.
Some Accord members, such as the textile discounter Kik, share concerns: “We fear, however, that a lack of legal binding force would result in a breach of the hard-to-achieve standards and that efforts to improve building security would wane.”
Other Accord members like Aldi Nord do not see any problems: “RSC has not only adopted the employees of the Accord, but also all standards, protocols and procedures. In this respect, we do not see the independence of the auditors impaired. ” Problem-solving mechanisms also remained the same. Similar to Aldi, the foreign trade association of the German retail trade expressed itself.
The website of the Clean Clothes Campaign, which brings together trade unions and non-governmental organizations, states: “To prevent the RSC from becoming another industry-led voluntary mechanism, brands and dealers who were so proud to have signed the Accord must do so , make sure they get their promises written down again: in a new international legally binding agreement. “
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
