"Report: A decade after deadly Ali Enterprises fire, Pakistan’s garment workers report shocking lack of fire exits", 1 July 2022

New research from the Clean Clothes Campaign and Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD) at Cardiff University reveals the urgent need for expansion of the International Accord in Pakistan, a legally binding safety agreement to protect workers.

2022 marks 10 years since the horrific Ali Enterprises fire that killed over 250 garment workers in Pakistan yet rights for workers in the garment and textile industry have hardly progressed. There is still no safety agreement that holds employers and international brands accountable for implementing basic safety protocols and procedures, leaving workers in almost the same conditions that led to this catastrophic fire...This is evidenced by data collected by an incidence tracker which has recorded over a dozen incidents resulting in deaths and injuries in garment factories in Pakistan over the past 18 months...

To understand what changes need to be made to protect workers, the Clean Clothes Campaign conducted a broad survey of almost 600 workers covering issues from workplace harassment, workplace health and safety, and worker wellbeing. 

The most pressing of the issues covered in the report were the deficiencies in some of the most basic provisions for factory safety in garment production in Pakistan, even those mandated by law. 85% of workers reported no access to proper exit stairwells in the case of a fire. One in five workers reported that their workplace lacked fire drills and were unaware of emergency escape routes and exits. Additionally, the survey found that independent factory inspections were not taking place in Pakistan, therefore while workers reported the existence of fire alarms and some safety mechanisms, there have been no regular inspections conducted to ensure systems and equipment are operating safely. 

Worryingly, in factories where women account for the majority of workers, only three-quarters of workers reported that they had access to escape routes that were clear from obstruction.

The results of the survey illustrate the pressing need for the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry to expand to Pakistan. The Accord would ensure regular independent factory inspections by qualified engineers, require compliance with time bound corrective action plans to correct identified safety hazards, and provide a complaint mechanism by which workers can hold factory management accountable for implementing safety procedures, without fear of retaliation. The involvement of local unions and other local workers’ rights organisations in the design, governance, and implementation of the expansion of the Accord to Pakistan will be of vital importance. 

[...]