Labor Rights Groups Reject U.S. Retailers’ Safety Plan for Bangladeshi Factories democracynow.org/2013/7/11/headlines A group of major North American retail giants have unveiled their own version of a safety plan for garment factories in Bangladesh. The proposal calls for $42 million in spending on worker safety, $100 million in available loans, and factory inspections within 12 months. But unlike a safety plan adopted by mostly European retailers, the new commitments are not legally binding. Major U.S. companies including Wal-Mart, Gap and Target advanced their version after refusing to endorse the European agreement. Both measures followed the factory collapse that killed more than 1,100 garment workers in April and a fire that killed 112 last November. In addition to shunning binding standards, the U.S. version also calls for "shared accountability" in paying for the required safety improvements. The European plan puts the onus for safety funding on the retailers themselves. In a statement, five labor rights groups, including the Worker Rights Consortium and United Students Against Sweatshops, criticized the U.S. retailers, saying: "Wal-Mart, Gap and companies like them simply do not want to make any promises they actually have to keep. ... Under [their] scheme, brands and retailers are not obligated to pay one cent toward the renovation and repair of their factories in Bangladesh."
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 14:24:44 +0000
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