"New safety initiative launched in India today ignores vital lessons from the past", 27 August 2019

“Sustainable Trade Initiative” IDH, launched its “industry-driven” safety programme in Vietnam earlier...and launches its India programme today...LABS announced it is planning expansion into Pakistan and Cambodia...

...“It is telling that four of the brands now behind the LABS initiative were main movers behind the Alliance as a business-controlled alternative to the Accord,” said Liana Foxvog of the International Labor Rights Forum. “...why would the initiative pushed by them now be trusted to draw on the lessons of the Accord...?”...

LABS promises to “build on the learnings and experiences” from Bangladesh...However, LABS is a voluntary brand initiative without union participation that lacks binding mechanisms to hold...brands accountable. Even though LABS claims to have transparency as one of its core principles, vital resources that LABS promises to make public...are...in the members-only part of its website...

...Even if factories consistently fail to remediate...safety issues...the programme leaves it to member brands’ individual decisions whether they...continue to source from these suppliers. Instead of employing...its own engineers...LABS places its trust in the same corporate social auditing firms that failed to prevent large-scale casualties in the past...

...“LABS’ programme of inspecting factories is a disaster waiting to happen..." says Ineke Zeldenrust of Clean Clothes Campaign...