Some hope six months after Bangladesh factory collapse

Six months after the deadly factory collapse, a group of survivors of the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh say they have been encouraged by the success of the union-brokered Accord on Fire and Building Safety, but have called on global brands to provide overdue compensation. In a visit to the site of the tragedy, in which 1,129 workers lost their lives, representatives from IndustriALL and UNI, the two global unions that drove the accord, spoke to survivors and explained the series of new commitments, to which over 100 global brands have now signed. Compensation negotiations are continuing on the international level, chaired by the ILO, convened by IndustriALL and supported by UNI. Whilst Primark has lead the way by paying six months’ worth of wages to families, the payments run out this month and other brands are still to follow suit. On 24 October, public demonstrations calling for a fair compensation settlement marked the six month anniversary of the tragedy. Many of the survivors have suffered major injuries including lost limbs and are unable to work. Many of those killed were the sole money earners in their family. IndustriALL and UNI marked the anniversary with workers in Bangladesh. They said top-level talks involving unions, brands, government and employers will coincide with a week of action on safety and working conditions. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) have launched a short report looking at the battle for compensation for both victims’ families and the survivors of Rana Plaza and the Tazreen Fashions fire. IndustriALL news release * Clean Clothes Campaign news release and report