Rana Plaza 6 month anniversary: momentum must continue

Women demonstrate at the collapsed Rana Plaza site, Bangladesh

Six months ago today a multi-use building in Bangladesh collapsed, killing more than 1,100 workers. We take this opportunity to send our wishes of support to those who suffered injury during the Rana Plaza collapse as well as to those who lost colleagues, family and friends.

This was the world’s worst industrial incident in 30 years, and one of many recent factory tragedies in Bangladesh. Just two weeks ago, nine workers lost their lives at a factory fire at Aswad Composite Mills near Dhaka. These incidents highlight the chronic health and safety issues that plague Bangladesh’s garment sector, which for too long have endangered workers’ safety and ultimately, their lives.

We are encouraged by the international community’s response, spurred by the horror of Rana Plaza.  We have seen responsible brands, including many ETI members, respond quickly, redoubling their efforts around factory safety. Our members were some of the first to sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, an international agreement backed by trade unions and NGOs which now has more than 100 company signatories. The Accord has got the right leadership team and structures in place, and we firmly believe it is the best and most credible vehicle for driving change.

We have supported the Bangladesh Accord from the outset, giving practical support during the past few months. We have also pledged our support for the ILO-backed National Tripartite Plan of Action on Fire Safety for the RMG Sector in Bangladesh. The real work on the ground is starting now. We see a specific role for ETI in helping build capacity for promoting dialogue between workers and managers, drawing on our collective experience with our company, trade union and NGO members.

ETI Director, Peter McAllister, said: “This is a sombre day, where we remember the immense loss and devastation caused by the Rana Plaza collapse. We are encouraged to see how international brands, retailers, governments, NGOs and trade unions have come together, and vowed to raise safety standards in Bangladesh’s garment sector. But momentum must be maintained, if we are to see real and sustainable change for Bangladeshi garment workers.”  

 

Opinion: Rana Plaza, six months on - how to stop another disaster

ETI's blog covers issues at the intersection of business and human rights. We feature posts by, for and from our members and allies; we do not accept or offer payment for posts or publish content outside of these criteria. We welcome a range of insights and opinions from our guest bloggers, though don't necessarily agree with everything they say.