"UNI calls on brands to sign Accord on Rana Plaza anniversary" 22 April 2022

On the ninth anniversary of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse, UNI Global Union is calling on more brands to sign the International Accord as the most effective means to uphold worker safety in the Bangladeshi textile and garment industry and fulfil their supply chain responsibilities in Bangladesh and beyond.

A total of 171 global fashion retailers have so far signed on to the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry. The legally binding agreement continues and expands the work of the Bangladesh Accord, which was established by UNI and IndustriALL global unions to improve safety in the country’s garment industry...

The International Accord goes further than its predecessor agreement, allowing for potential expansion into new territories. Last month, Accord representatives visited Pakistan and Sri Lanka and met with key stakeholders to explore implementing the agreement into those countries. Feasibility studies for expansion into other ready-made garment producing hubs are also ongoing in India and Morocco.

In addition, the Ready-Made-Garment Sustainability Council (RSC), which implements the International Accord safety programme in Bangladesh, is consulting the local government to include boiler safety in factory inspections. The RSC is further expanding the scope of the work to include labour rights and the environmental impact of production.

While 93 per cent of all hazards have been fixed since initial inspections of 1,600 factories supplying Accord signatories began in 2013 – there are still factories with serious issues that need to be remedied...