On 13 May, Europe’s biggest fashion retailers firms Inditex and H&M supported a safety agreement for Bangladesh, promoted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Last month, more than 1,100 people died after the collapse of a Bangladesh garment factory. The building didn’t follow any safety standards as most of the garment factories in the country. On 4 May, the officials from ILO visited Bangladesh, and begun the procedures for the promotion of a safety agreement which will affect all the garment companies in the country.
Yesterday, the safety agreement was backed by H&M and Inditex but major US retailers, including GAP, denied to back the accord. As of late Monday U.S. time, the only well-known U.S. company to announce it had signed the ILO safety agreement was PVH.
Eva Sage-Gavin, an executive in Gap’s global human resources and corporate affairs department, said in a statement, that the well - known firm is ready to join today but first wanted a change in the way disputes are resolved in the courts. “With this single change, this global, historic agreement can move forward with a group of all retailers, not just those based in Europe,” Gavin said.
However, the safety agreement was exclusively for Bangaldesh and the ILO had announced that the “international buyers and brands” should take “increased responsibility for improving working conditions and safety and health” in order to improve “all workplaces throughout Bangladesh.”
The European Trade Union, IndustriALL which also participates in the safety agreement expressed its hope that several more brands will join the accord by the May 15 deadline. A spokesman for IndustriALL said the final draft of the deal would only be published on Wednesday but included strengthening workers' rights, training and brands making a financial commitment relative to the size of their business in Bangladesh.
