Australian clothing retailer Best&Less have refused to sign the International Accord, an industry-standard workplace safety mechanism covering garment workers in Bangladesh, according to news published at Aussie media outlet Miragenews.
This is despite the 10-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on April 24.
On April 24, 2013, the tragic event claimed the lives of 1,132 garment workers and injured 2,500 others, the majority of them were women.
Just Jeans, Kmart, Big W, and, most recently, "THE ICONIC" and Mosaic Brands, the business that owns Katies, Rivers, and Millers, are among the other Australian clothing companies who have signed on to the Accord.
The International Accord, a well-known safety accord formed in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza disaster, assures safe working conditions for Bangladeshi garment workers.
Over the last 10 years, The Accord has conducted nearly 56,000 inspections across 2,400 garment factories in Bangladesh and identified 170,000 health and safety issues with 91% of those successfully remediated.
The inspections The Accord undertakes, and subsequent safety repairs, are funded by brands which have signed up to it.
Best&Less have 20 factories in Bangladesh which make up 25% of their global sourcing.
Tamazer Ahmed, Women's Rights Manager at ActionAid Bangladesh, who supports garment workers' rights, told Miragenews that it's very disappointing Best&Less have not signed The Accord.
“It is very disappointing that Best&Less has failed to put the safety of women garment workers ahead of company profit. Brands like Best&Less signing on to the International Accord is a vital step towards ensuring another Rana Plaza never happens,” she added.
“The ready-made garment sector employs over two and a half million women representing 80% of Bangladesh's exports yet these workers have historically worked incredibly long hours for little pay in often dangerous conditions.”
“While there have been major changes in fire safety and building safety since the Rana Plaza collapse, and some progress in raising the minimum wage and getting baseline maternity leave we can't make further progress unless Australian brands like Best&Less get on board.”
Michelle Higelin, executive director of ActionAid Australia said that Best&Less needs to put the safety of women garment workers before profit.
“Best&Less need to do the right thing and at the very least ensure the women making their products in Bangladesh have the most basic right to return home safely from work each day,” she added.
“Best&Less have an ethical and corporate responsibility to financially contribute to safety improvements across factories in their supply chain. By refusing to sign The Accord, Best&Less are out of step with the rest of the industry.”
New research from ActionAid has revealed the continuing challenges faced by survivors of the collapsed Rana Plaza.
More than half (54.5%) of survivors are currently unemployed, with their physical health being the primary reason. 36.8% of survivors reported back discomfort, while a quarter (24.6%) reported headaches.
According to Shahidullah Azim, vice-president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), there are currently no Accord or International Accord activities, and it makes no difference which brands join the international agreement.
“Bangladesh now boasts the world's safest and most-complained-about apparel business and established the regional RMG Sustainability Council (RSC), in which brands, manufacturers, and labour unions all participated equally to ensure safety and adherence to the law of our nation,” he added.
