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18 Apr 2018

5 years on from Rana Plaza building collapse - labour rights organizations urge brands to sign renewed Bangladesh Accord on Fire & Building Safety

24 April 2018 marks five years since the Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh that crushed 1,134 people to death and injured over 2,000 others. The collapse of the eight-story building, which housed over five garment factories supplying global brands, remains one of the worst industrial accidents to date.

The legally-binding Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, signed between IndustriALL Global Union, UNI Global Union and 222 apparel brands, was set up in response to the factory collapse. The Accord safety programme has saved lives and dramatically improved garment factory safety in Bangladesh, with the remediation progress rate across all covered Accord factories at 84%.

With the current Accord expiring in May, workers and labour organizations are urging brands to sign the 2018 Transition Accord that will take over the work of the current Accord once the latter expires.

IndustriALL Global Union Assistant General Secretary, Jenny Holdcroft, stated: “Brands that don’t sign the 2018 Accord are getting a free ride from the brands that do, benefiting from being able to source from safer factories without contributing to the joint effort. Support for the Accord is critical while there is still no effective national regulatory body in place that can guarantee factory safety.”

As of 18 April 2018, 144 global brands have signed the new 2018 Accord, covering more than 1,300 factories and approximately two million workers. This page tracks efforts and developments around the 2018 Accord.

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