Anniversary Rana Plaza: Demand to ensure safe working environment in the garment sector

Today is that black, tragic day that we remember the factory collapse and killing of over 1.100 workers on 24th April at Rana Plaza in Savar, shocking Bangladesh and the world. WSM partner National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) arranged a month-long campaign and programs for Rana Plaza Workers' Murder Day, to lobby for safer working environment in the garment industry.

As part of this month-long program "Rana Plaza, Tazreen - Never Again", a Workers Rally and a flower wreath were held at the Rana Plaza site and monument on Sunday, 24th April, 2022 at 10.30.

Through the rally, workers demanded a safe workplace for all garment workers in Bangladesh, so that tragedy like Rana Plaza or the Tazreen fire never happen again. NGWF arranged a short assembly before the start of the rally and speeches were given by the central leaders, Rafikul Islam Rafik, Mrs Nasima Akter, Md Kabir Hosssain, Md Faridul Islam, Md Faruk Khan, Sweety Sultana etc.

7th Anniversary of Rana Plaza Tragedy- lighting 7 candles - NGWF

Seven candles were lit on the 7th anniversary since the Rana Plaza Tragedy by the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) in front of their offices in Dhaka, in remembrance of the dead and injured workers. Two orphaned children were also present, besides the president Mr Amirul Haque Amin and selected central leaders.
At the time of the candle lighting, certain demands were put forward by the Federation in relation with Rana Plaza, but also related to the present COVID-19 situation:

About Rana Plaza

1. Punishment of Rana Plaza owner and six garment owners of Rana Plaza;
2. Establish a monument in remembrance of deceased workers of Rana Plaza on the land;
3. Ensure follow-up and medical service for the injured workers of Rana Plaza;
4. Demand of rehabilitation for the injured and families of deceased workers;
5. Continuation of the Accord until the formation of proposed Ready Made Garment Sustainability Council and until the negotiations are done between Buyers and the Trade Unions.

About the present corona-virus

1. Black-list the garment industries are open still and take steps to punish them;
2. Cancel their license and take measures against those owners who did not pay the full salary for the month of March;
3. Those who cut the four-days salary for March must pay these to the respective workers;
4. No fraud can be done to the workers in the name of lay-off. Garment Industries should remain closed under the general leave declared by the Government with full payment;
5. Garment industries can not open until the situation improves and public transportation are available;
6. No delays regarding the April salary and Eid bonus;
7. Stop postponement and cancellation of order, and demanding discount by Buyers
8. With owners and Government, the Buyers must also come forward to take the responsibility for the workers;
9. Initiate rationing system for garment workers by the government.

Commemorating Rana Plaza 5 years after in Dhaka

It feels strange to be in Dhaka on the 24th of April. This day is Bangladeshi’s 9/11, a day of commemoration where all newspapers headlines refer to the Rana Plaza tragedy that happened five years ago and which claimed the lives of 1138 garment workers and left more than 2.400 injured. The front page headlines aggressively remind us that "promises made mostly not implemented". There are over twenty five events commemorating the human made catastrophe, like rallies, human chains and others, some gathering survivors and family members. The events are filled with frustration and anger and demands. 

Invited by WSM's partner, the garment trade union NGWF, I went to a lighting of candles by children orphaned by Rana Plaza. It was a sad affair, with around twenty kids, most under ten years old, who were babies or toddlers when Rana Plaza collapsed, stealing their mother or father away.

A woman still cries recounting what happened, others blink tears away. They share their stories in front of cameras and mikes, highlighting their misery and sadness. And there is a lot of suffering to be shown, there are a lot of cameras and mikes to record. Bangladesh is in no way over what happened, though it sometimes seems the rest of the world has mostly forgotten and needs to be reminded of one of the worst industrial tragedy. It alerted people buying a T-shirt in the West to the world of sweat and exploitation that had gone into bringing a cheap T-shirt to their closets.

How to compensate

People here, gathered by trade unions and civil society are still demanding for better compensation for the victims, because the compensation paid to 5.000 workers had to use as reference their age and salary. While the formula is sound, with a legal minimum wage of currently 53€, this doesn’t amount to much. If a worker dies in a work related accident, family still gets a measly 1.000€, which even after Rana Plaza hasn’t been increased. NGWF demands that the amount would be calculated according to ILO Convention 121, adding compensation for pain and suffering.

What improved and what hasn't

What has improved are the security standards, with inspections and renovations done in almost 4.000 of the 5.000 factories in Bangladesh. This is done by multi-stakeholder initiatives gathering brands, factory owners, civil society and presided over by the ILO. This is an important achievement which was recently reconfirmed, with the Bangladeshi Accord on Fire and Safety renewed, despite resistance from government and employers. Still, it is a slow process and daunting task to improve safety. Since Rana Plaza, almost 100 factory accidents have happened, injuring 450 people and killing 80. But what hasn’t improved are the working conditions and wages. Trade unions like WSMs partner NGWF are an increase from the current legal minimum wage of 53€ to a living wage of at least 160€ per month. Organizing garment workers remains problematic, with half of trade unions which are applying for registration rejected and hampering the freedom of association.

Unlike 9/11, the Bangladeshi government doesn’t like that attention still goes to this tragedy, to the lack of adequate compensation and the ongoing problems in the garment sector. There is no monument at the site of the collapse, demands that the 24th of April would become a national holiday to observe workers safety day were not followed. Authorities are reluctant that events during the commemoration are organized at the site, not even a medical camp WSM’s partner GK wanted to organize for the injured. They are wary of journalists, often imposing they agree to be accompanied. The government is worried negative press will deter brands from ordering from Bangladesh, while the garment sector is very important for the economy.

Beacons of hope

At the event I attended, the orphans on the front row looked a bit bewildered at the eye of the camera. Most had no idea of what was happening, and why they had to be put on display. Rana Plaza caused extreme suffering and many want to remind the world of it, rub our noses in it, not make us forget. The children lit candles, which are supposed to symbolise hope. Many of the candles were blown out by the wind and had to be relight.

Rana Plaza site on the 24th of April in the afternoon,
with only few people and the flowers of the morning ceremony at the monument.

 At the Rana Plaza site, people and organisations queued for hours in the morning to deposit flowers at the small monument with a hammer and sickle, made by some communist organisation, since the government hasn't put anything there.


Where the ruins used to be is now a field, where relatives wander, the only way to visit the grave of their loved ones, as several bodies were never recovered. By the afternoon, most have left, the site feels lost again. Just some people mingle about, watching the occasional journalist come to take footage. The only sign of the government is three police trucks full of watchful men. No declarations were made by the government, not even an attempt at defending their actions or show some progress was made.

A woman I recognize from a physiotherapy session at GK comes to sit at the monument,
still wearing orthopedic braces on her back and arm.
She is obviously trying to send a message, but I am not sure many are there to listen.

Why the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Safety will be here until 2021

The following is an op-ed by the witness signatories to the Accord published in the Bangladeshi paper, the Daily Star. 

c Daily Star

In reaction to recent statements concerning the future of the Bangladesh Accord, the Witness Signatories to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh—Clean Clothes Campaign, International Labor Rights Forum, Maquila Solidarity Network, and the Worker Rights Consortium—wish to respond regarding the continuation of the Accord's inspection programme. Recent statements have led some to erroneously believe that the Accord is scheduled to end in 2018, and one should ask whether such an early departure is even desirable given the limited progress made in the development of a credible and functioning national safety regulatory body.

In the wake of the Rana Plaza building collapse—the deadliest disaster in the history of the global garment industry, in which 1,134 workers were killed—three initiatives were launched with the purpose of averting further industry tragedies in Bangladesh: the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (Accord), the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (Alliance), and the National Action Plan on Fire Safety and Structural Integrity (NAP).

The Accord is an agreement reached between over 200 apparel companies, eight Bangladeshi union federations, and two global unions. This unprecedented safety agreement is based on legally-binding commitments by apparel brands to ensure that hazards in their factories are identified and corrected. The Accord has overseen factory renovations—from installation of fire doors to strengthening of dangerously weak structural columns and beams—that have already improved safety for over two million garment workers. This success can be attributed to the Accord's distinct approach, which combines independent safety inspections with multi-brand leverage, financial support and legal accountability to ensure that problems are not only identified but are fixed.

In comparison, the Alliance and the NAP are smaller, less transparent, non-binding programmes that do not benefit from the same level of brands' commitment to change, especially when it comes to financial feasibility.

To ensure that the safety improvements achieved under the Accord are maintained and expanded, brand and union signatories of the Accord announced in June of 2017 that the Accord has been extended for three years, until May of 2021. To date, 48 companies, including H&M, Inditex (Zara), Primark, and PVH (Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein), have signed the new Accord, with many more likely to follow in the months ahead. These signatories represent many of the largest brands and retailers in the world and most of the Bangladesh RMG sector's key customers. Their combined commitment means that the 2013 Accord successor agreement will cover at least 1,400 factories and a majority of all export garment production.

The purpose of the renewed Accord, which takes effect in May of 2018 when the current 2013 Accord expires, is to ensure that factories made safe under the Accord remain safe. At the same time, the new Accord will support improvements to Bangladesh's public regulatory regime, in order to strengthen and pass on this responsibility to the Bangladesh government at the end of those three years. As was agreed to in meetings on October 19 between brand and trade union signatories to the Accord, the BGMEA, and the Bangladesh Ministers of Commerce and Labour, the Accord will continue this work until the local regulatory bodies meet a set of rigorous readiness conditions.

It remains to be seen how long this transition will take; however, any objective assessment of the government's current state of readiness will conclude that there is a lot of work to do. In order for the Accord to conclude its operations, local mechanisms must be developed, put in place, and demonstrably running smoothly to ensure safe working conditions for the country's four million garment workers.

Fatal explosion kills at least 13 at Bangladesh garment factory

Multifabs factory is situated on the outskirts of Dhaka

At least 13 people were killed and up to 50 injured after a boiler exploded at a garment factory in Bangladesh on Monday, Aljazeera reported (link). Dozens of labourers were on site at the facility in an industrial district outside the capital, Dhaka, when a blast tore through the six-storey building, causing its walls and a roof to collapse.

InudstriALL released as statement (link):The explosion at the non-unionized Multifabs factory highlights the urgent need to address boiler safety in garment and textile factories in Bangladesh. As a factory covered under the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, Multifabs has been inspected by Accord engineers. It had completed fire separation of the boiler room, and all other fire and structural safety renovations, except for installation of sprinklers. The Accord does not cover boiler inspections, which are monitored by the Bangladesh government.

There is still an enormous amount to be done to improve safety in the Bangaldeshi garment industry. This latest tragedy underlines the need for the work by the Bangladesh Accord to continue, and union signatories to the Accord will demand that it be expanded to include boiler safety as soon as possible.
Since the Rana Plaza tragedy of 2013, when over a thousand garment workers were killed, the Accord has completed fire and building safety inspections at 1,800 garment factories supplying more than 200 signatory brands. Accord engineers have identified over 118,000 fire, electrical and structural hazards at these factories. Today, 79 per cent of workplace dangers discovered in the Accord’s original round of inspections have been remediated.

Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh extended

The global union federations IndustriALL and UNI announced here that the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh will be extended with a new agreement. To date, 13 brands and retailers have signed and 8 more committed to sign the new agreement, with many more likely to follow in the weeks ahead.

The Rana Plaza collapse in April 2013 claimed the lives of more than 1,100 workers, injuring 2,500 more. Six weeks later, unions, non-governmental organizations and brands announced the Úrst Bangladesh Accord. Currently, the Accord covers more than 2.5 million workers. The Accord is a groundbreaking building safety agreement based on binding commitments by apparel brands to ensure that hazards in their factories are identified and corrected. The Accord has overseen factory renovations – from installation of fire doors to strengthening of dangerously weak structural columns – that have improved safety for millions of garment workers. The current Accord expires in May 2018.

NGWF: 4th Anniversary of Rana Plaza: ‘Zero Tolerance’ regarding workers safety

Leaders of National Garment Workers Federation have vowed saying, “We will not let occur anymore tragic accident like Rana Plaza in Bangladesh. We will follow ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy regarding Garment workers safety. There will be no compromise in this matter.”National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) leaders said this at ‘A lighting of 50 beacons of life by 50 orphans’ program organized to mark the 4th anniversary of Rana Plaza tragedy in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka city.

The 50 orphans have lighted equal number of lamps; they lost their parents in Rana Plaza accident that took place on April 24, 2013. They lightened the lamps at 9:15am on the occasion. The 8-story Rana Plaza located at Savar, about 30 kilometers away from the capital Dhaka, at about 9:00am on the fateful day when more than 5000 workers were working in 5 Garment factories inside the building. About 1138 workers, mostly women, lost their lives in the accident, which injured over 2500 workers. This tragedy is treated globally as the biggest industrial accident in the world in 100 years.

President of NGWF Amirul Haque Amin presided over the program. At the beginning of the program, the participants paid rich tribute & respect to the martyrs & victim and mourn their tragedy. They prayed for the departed souls and injured workers of Rana Plaza. President of the ceremony paid gratitude to the Garment workers of Bangladesh, Garment Trade Unions, International Trade Unions and Workers’ rights organizations for extending support for realizing compensation for the dead & injured victims of the tragedy and their family.

The program was addressed by, among others, NGWF General Secretary Mrs Arifa Akhtar & Central committee leaders Md. Faruq Khan, Mrs Aleya Begum, Kabir Hossain, Rafiqul Islam Rafique, Foridul Islam, Humayun Kabir, Mrs Sweety Sultana, H Robiul Chowdhury, Miss Esrat Jahan Ela, Bacchu Mia, Mrs Parvin Akhter, Md. Kasem.

While  delivering  presidential  speech  NGWF  President  Amirul  Haque  Amin appealed to the Government, Trade union bodies, BGMEA-BKMEA, Brands (ACCORD & Alliance) to undertake joint initiatives to prevent a repetition of tragedies like Rana Plaza and Tazreen Tragedies and to compensate the victim workers as per ‘Loss of earnings’(& 500.000Taka for ‘Pain & sufferings as per ILO Convention 121), as well as providing and short and long term medical support.

Amin also urged all concerned to provide long-term advanced and free Medicare support to the injured workers of both Rana Plaza and Tazreen.

NGWF: Ananta workers’ movement prevents repetition of Rana Plaza tragedy in Dhaka

The workers of Ananta Fashion & Ananta Apparels Ltd, two garment factories housed at same building in Dhaka metropolitan city, resisted repetition of another Rana Plaza tragedy through united movement following partial collapse of the building recently under the leadership of the NGWF along with their factory union.

Security guardrooms at the ground floor of 15-the storied Ananta Plaza, which houses both factories, collapsed on April 5, 2017 at about 5pm, when about 3.000 workers, mostly women, were still producing RMG products inside the building, giving in to big earth-hole created due to pressure of a massive excavation of immediately adjacent land.

What response given to Bangladesh factory fire killing 34 workers?

At least 34 people have been killed in a blaze in Bangladesh after a boiler malfunctioning at a factory that packages for Nestle and other companies. 10 workers are missing and hundreds are injured. "Waving their hands through the windows of the factory, the workers were crying for help but those who were outside could not go near the building due to huge flames," said Gul Chan, a housewife of a nearby tin-shed house. Rescuing people and extinguishing the fire took over 48 hours and 22 teams of firefighters and army. The fire happened in Tongi, just 12 miles north of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, and is the country’s worst industrial accident since the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse that killed 1,135 garment workers. Tampaco Foils, which owns the five-storey factory, reportedly packages various items for several international brands, including Nestle and British American Tobacco.

Worker Rights Consortium, the International Labor Rights Forum, Clean Clothes Campaign, and the Maquila Solidarity Network responded to the explosion in a statement saying "it is vital for the public to understand that boiler safety is also a key issue in Bangladesh's massive garment sector. There have been numerous boiler explosions at garment factories in recent years (...) 
There has been major progress in improving fire and building safety in garment factories in Bangladesh, especially at the 1,600 factories covered by the binding safety agreement between unions and global apparel brands known as the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. However, none of the safety initiatives in the garment sector, including the Accord, cover the issue of boiler safety. Accord standards concerning fire safety address the spread of a fire caused by a boiler explosion, but they do not address the prevention of such explosions - and, in an explosion the size of the one we have just witnessed at Tampaco Foils, limiting the spread of fire will not be enough to protect life and limb. This is a major issue that the Accord, all other building safety initiatives in Bangladesh, and the Bangladesh government must address."

WSM partners also intervened. Hearing of the fire, GK doctors and paramedics went there with an ambulance and medical supplies, as well as a team from the Government. GK medical team stayed there for three days and treated over a hundred workers and also members of the rescue teams. Most of the treated injuries were burns and were later referred to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital burn unit. On 18th of September, NGWF jointly with other trade unions held a a black-flag mourning-rally and also released a statement with their demands, including compensation to the injured and families of deceased according to ILO standards.

Win For Life: focus on living wage (achACT - August edition)

Depuis cinq ans, des dizaines de milliers de travailleuses des usines de confection au Cambodge se battent pour obtenir un salaire qui leur permette de satisfaire leurs besoins vitaux, et malgré des victoires, elles en sont encore loin....


Read more here (FR).

Clean Clothes Campaign puts out fires at H&M shop in Belgium

Foto: Jürgen Doom

Terwijl de aandeelhouders van H&M vandaag verzamelen in Stockholm, roept de Schone Kleren Campagne het bedrijf op om meer vaart te zetten achter de noodzakelijke renovaties in de fabrieken in Bangladesh die H&M bevoorraden. Activisten van de Schone Kleren Campagne voerden een veiligheidscontrole uit in het H&M-filiaal in Leuven en overhandigden een brandblusapparaat aan het management. Gelijkaardige acties gebeurden in 27 steden wereldwijd.

Drie jaar nadat H&M als eerste bedrijf het Bangladesh Akkoord voor gebouw- en brandveiligheid ondertekende, staan bijna al hun leveranciers achter op schema om renovaties uit te voeren. De internationale Schone Kleren Campagne en drie andere ngo’s hebben gisteren een update gepubliceerd van een eerder rapport  over de vertraging in de veiligheidsrenovaties bij 32 van H&M’s strategische Bengaalse leveranciers. Ook de vooruitgang bij 22 bijkomende strategische leveranciers werd onderzocht.

Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat bij 70% van hun 54 strategische leveranciers, nog niet alle branddeuren geïnstalleerd werden die een veilige uitweg garanderen aan werknemers in geval van brand. Daardoor kan een brand catastrofale gevolgen hebben, zoals de brand bij Garib & Garib zes jaar geleden, waarbij 21 werknemers die kleren stikten voor H&M omkwamen. Dat percentage is zelfs hoger dan bij de vorige update in januari, omdat sindsdien nog meer deadlines verstreken zijn. Andere renovaties werden afgekeurd door de inspecteurs van het Akkoord.

Amin from NGWF honored Nuremberg International Human Rights Award

Amirul Haque Amin, President of the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) today received the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award for his more than 3 decades long fight for the rights of garment workers in Bangladesh, for the improvement of their living conditions.

NGWF: Realization of US 30 million dollar as compensation of Rana Plaza victims is “One step forward towards victory of workers movement”

Realization of US 30 million dollar as compensation of Rana Plaza victims is “One step forward towards victory of workers movement”. Thanks to all, including ILO, IndustriAll, UNI, ITUC and CCC for this achievement" say leaders of National Garments Workers Federation (NGWF) at the Solidarity rally of Rana Plaza victims.

They also paid rich tributes to the Bangladesh Prime Minister for her action for the victims immediately after the collapse of Rana Plaza.
National Garments Workers Federation (NGWF) and victims of Rana Plaza have termed the realization of US 30 million dollar as compensation of Rana Plaza victims as “One step forward towards the victory of workers movement”. For achieving the victory they have given thanks to different Trade Unions’ and Labour Rights Organizations, including ILO, IndustriAll, UNI, CCC, ITUC, WRC,ILRF, United Student Against Sweat Shops (USAS),MSN, DGB, TUC, ACTU, CLC, FNV, Cgt, Action Aid and BILS.

Today (16/06/2015) 11:00 am a solidarity rally of Rana Plaza victims was held in front of the Rana Plaza at Savar marking the achievement of the Rana Plaza victims compensation fund (collection of US$ 30 million) and reckoning the important role played by those organizations. The rally was organized jointly by NGWF and Rana Plaza victims.

Victims Rana Plaza finally to receive compensation

More than two years after the collapse of the Rana Plaza complex compensations can finally go to the victims and their families. The Clean Clothes Campaign conducted a two-year campaign to pressure large international chains who made clothes in one of the five plants of the Rana Plaza complex to compensate the victims. More than a million consumers in Europe and other parts of the world took part in actions and petitions. On the second anniversary of the collapse, there was still a $ 2.4 million deficit in order to achieve the target of 30 million USD. An anonymous donation filled the gap.

The Rana Plaza Donor Trust Fund was established by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to raise money for medical costs and loss of income for the Rana Plaza victims and their families. In November 2014 the Coordination Committee of the Fund announced that $ 30 million was needed to cover the 5000 claims. Because the contributions of brands and chains were slow in coming, the initial compensations could only partially be paid.

The CCC calls on policy makers to ensure that future disaster victims quickly get the compensation they are entitled to. The ILO initiative in Bangladesh to establish a workers' compensation insurance for four million workers in the clothing sector is therefore more than welcome. On European level, there is a need to develop instruments that hold European brands and chains accountable for working conditions in their supply chain.

"This is a great victory, but it has taken far too long," said Sara Ceustermans of the Clean Clothes Campaign in Flanders. "That brands and chains which together make more than 20 billion dollars profit annually needed two years and immense pressure to raise 30 million USD. This shows that can not leave the initiative to produce ethically solely to the sector. Access to remediation for victims must come naturally, and not have to be the result of public pressure."

Want to buy a cheap T-shirt for 2EUR and get more than what you expect?

Dresses for as little as $10, designer bags for under $25. Today, you can buy a trendy new outfit on the cheap. "People want fashion for a bargain," Fashion Revolution explains in its new video social experiment. The nonprofit placed a vending machine in the streets of Berlin and offered people a T-shirt for as little as €2 (or approximately $2.19). That's less than the average price of a cup of coffee.

Who could resist an offer like that, right? Watch the video to see why the passersby opted not to make the purchase.


The nonprofit created the video for April 24's Fashion Revolution Day, an annual event that remembers the 2013 collapse of Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Over 1000 people working in the garment factory were killed while producing clothing for brands such as J.C. Penney, Benetton, Walmart and others in suspect conditions.

"We’re not asking people to boycott their favorite stores, we need to change the fashion industry from within by asking the brands and retailers where we like to shop 'Who made my clothes?'" Fashion Revolution Day founder Carry Somers told Marie Claire. "Consumers didn't cause this problem, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be part of the solution," she added.

Fashion Revolution is encouraging people to take a stand and show fashion brands they need to start taking responsibility for their actions. To learn more, follow the #fashrev hashtag on social media.

Benetton to join fund for Rana Plaza victims

The Times, The Guardian and Reuters reported this weekend a great news! Our petitioning and pressure worked! Benetton has released a statement agreeing to contribute to a compensation fund for victims of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh nearly two years after the disaster in which 1,100 people died.

In a statement on Friday, Benetton said it was working with "an independent and globally recognized third party" to work out a "fair and proportionate" compensation.

The move by the Italian fashion brand comes after more than 1 million people signed a petition on the campaigning site Avaaz in less than a fortnight calling on it to pay up. Dalia Hashad, Avaaz campaign director, said: “This is a victory for everyone around the world who wants to ensure our clothing never again costs lives. We’re hopeful Benetton will make a significant contribution so the families of Rana Plaza workers aren’t left high and dry.”

It said it would announce how much it would pay into the fund before April 24, which will mark the second anniversary of the Rana Plaza's collapse.

Avaaz Campaign Director Dalia Hashad

"We're hopeful Benetton will make a significant contribution so the families of Rana Plaza workers aren't left high and dry," Avaaz campaign director Dalia Hashad said.

The Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund, chaired by the United Nations' International Labor Organisation (ILO), said on its website that it needed an overall $40 million to cover claims from victims and survivors.

The fund still needs $9 million to reach that amount.

"Honestly speaking I think a fair amount for Benetton would be the 9 million," Avaaz spokesman Daniel Boese told Reuters.

Noone should die for fashion: United Victims of Benetton

In just 90 seconds, an eight-story sweatshop in Bangladesh collapsed in Rana Plaza on 24th of April 2013. Over 1,100 people died. Some survivors sawed through their own limbs to escape. Out of the horror, the UN set up a ground-breaking compensation and corporate accountability scheme. Incredibly, it’s working - but survivors need our help to get one complicit company to pay up: Benetton.

Billion-dollar Italian clothing giant Benetton refuses to compensate the victims who made their clothes. It’s the only major global brand with undisputed links that hasn’t contributed. So far, they’re ignoring survivors and will get away with it unless it impacts their reputation. That’s where we come in.

Benetton is prepping for Milan fashion week. It’s Italian fashion’s most important event of the year -- and our opportunity to create a massive PR scandal. Click to demand Benetton pay up now and save this scheme. To date, 1,006,166 have signed. so we’ll embarrass them in a spectacular fashion week show they can’t ignore. Sign now.

Benetton, #payup to Rana Plaza survivors! This video shows Benetton's corporate vision, illustrated by the Clean Clothes Campaign. Help us win this campaign at: www.payup.cleanclothes.org

ASK BENETTON TO PAY UP

For decades multinational companies have turned their back on those killed and injured in their supply chains. This must and can change. By speaking out and taking action together we can prove that companies can and should be held to account for the impact their behaviour has throughout the supply chain. It’s up to us – each and every one of us - to take action to ensure that the survivors and the victims’ families are not left wanting in the face of Benetton’s empty promises.

ASK @BENETTON TO #PAYUP: Benetton is the LAST major international brand with a direct link to #Ranaplaza to REFUSE to compensate victims. UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON promised to “make funds available to the families of the victims of #RanaPlaza as every member of our industry has a moral obligation to intervene in their support.” So, then why is Benetton continuing to refuse to give even a penny to the compensation fund?

Join the Clean Clothes Campaign and take three simple actions to hold Benetton accountable for their promises: sign the petition, and share it by tweet (#PayUpBenetton) or Facebook!

A Medical Camp for Rana Plaza victims

WSM's partners in Bangladesh, NGWF and GK, work together to provide medical care for the victims of the Rana Plaza tragedy. This interview was shot during the Rana Plaza Medical Camp on the 12th of November 2014 at BILS hospital.

In this video, Mr Reza, special consultant for GK for medical help to Rana Plaza victims, explained they had received 78 patients that morning, who were attended by five doctors (psychological help, gynecology, medication, physiotherapy). Since the Rana Plaza catastrophe, they have organized 16 camps like these, some with general care, others with specialized services. The main problems now would be psychological support, as many of the victims were traumatized and physiotherapy for loss of limbs. Another problem is the need for certain victims to receive surgery to remove stale implants, but for which there are often no funds or support to be performed.

JBC KRIJGT SCHONE KLEREN CADEAU - persbericht van WereldSolidariteit

copyright Sofie Hendrickx

Houthalen, 4 november. JBC kreeg vandaag een grote collectie ‘schone’ T-shirts van de ngo Wereldsolidariteit cadeau. Ter afronding van de campagne "Wij willen schone kleren", waarbij 13.278 consumenten Belgische kledingbedrijven om schone kleren (dwz gemaakt in goede arbeidsomstandigheden) vragen. De directie van JBC legde uit welke stappen zij al zetten. JBC zet zich  in voor veiligere fabrieken in Bangladesh, recent engageerde het bedrijf een speciale verantwoordelijke voor ‘duurzaam ondernemen’. Zij had vandaag al meteen een primeur in petto: JBC wordt lid van Fair Wear Foundation, een onafhankelijke controleorganisatie rond arbeidsomstandigheden. Dit was dé cruciale eis van de campagne.

Meer dan 13.000
Wereldsolidariteit verzamelde op 3 maanden tijd meer dan 13.000 handtekeningen en kledinglabels op 500 T-shirts en 12 megagrote T-shirts als steun aan de campagne. De kledingketen Bel&Bo kreeg eerder al bezoek van de campagnevoerders. Toen kondigde de directie van het West-Vlaamse  bedrijf aan dat ze in november lid zullen worden van de Fair Wear Foundation.

copyright Sofie Hendrickx

JBC kiest voor duurzaamheid
Griet Cattaert, de nieuwe CSR-manager van JBC: “Wij zijn al verschillenden jaren bezig met een duurzaamheidsverhaal. We hebben een gedragscode, laten al jaren onafhankelijke audits doen en hebben als enige Belgische retailer het Bangladesh Veiligheidsakkoord ondertekend.  Onze directie en medewerkers zijn rechtstreeks betrokken bij aankopen in China en Bangladesh, waar we duurzame relaties met onze leveranciers hebben: zo werken wij in China al 15 jaar met bepaalde bedrijven. We gaan nu verder op die weg door lid te worden van de Fair Wear Foundation."

Andre Kiekens van Wereldsolidariteit: “Wij zijn opgetogen dat de constructieve gesprekken die we de afgelopen maanden hebben gevoerd resulteren in dit goede nieuws. Want wij zijn medestanders.” Kiekens vervolgt: “Uiteindelijk willen we allemaal hetzelfde: een beter leven voor de mensen die onze kleren maken. Daarom dat we jullie een schone T-shirt cadeau doen, met het portret van een Bengaalse kledingarbeidster, naar een idee van theatermaakster Pascale Platel. Misschien een goed idee voor een toekomstige JBC-collectie?”