"6 Dead After Morocco Garment Factory Collapse"

.. Six workers were killed on Thursday after parts of a building housing a textile factory in Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city, collapsed, a labor union reported.

The accident, which took place in the Tit Mellil industrial zone, occurred as the manufacturer was adding four new floors without taking proper safety precautions, according to Syndicat National des Travailleurs du Textile et du Cuir (SNTTC-UMT), an affiliate of IndustriALL Global Union. Three of the dead worked for the building contractor and three for the unnamed facility.

SNTT-UMT blamed both the construction company for its lack of oversight, as well as the officials who authorized the expansion without ensuring that legal standards were being met. It’s calling for their “prosecution and accountability,” as well as a broader national debate on occupational health and safety, one that brings together all stakeholders...

The International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment Industry, the successor to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, named Morocco as one of four priority countries for an expansion of its programs, with the others being Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan. Pakistan was ultimately picked as the first country outside of Bangladesh to benefit from the Accord’s legally binding mechanism. It now has more than 60 signatories, including H&M Group, Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing and Zara parent Inditex...

“Morocco is top of the list for fast fashion brands moving out of Leicester in the search for lower wages,” Muller said, referring to the English manufacturing hub favored by domestic fast-fashion brands like Boohoo. “This preventable tragedy shows how the search for profit can kill and injure workers. Morocco is no stranger to tragedies like this and brands need to support suppliers who are trying to do the right thing and not simply focus on their profit.”