UNISON is supporting Labour Behind the Label and War on Want as they take a short walking tour of London’s Oxford Street tomorrow (Thursday), visiting Benetton, Primark, Matalan, Mango, Gap and other major brands whose clothes were made at Rana Plaza – where more than 1,000 workers lost their lives two years ago.
On 24 April 2013, Rana Plaza collapsed with the loss of at least 1,134 lives – tthe worst industrial disaster in Bangladesh’s history.
As well as the dead, the victims include workers who lost limbs and sustained injuries which means they may never work again as well as children who have been orphaned, losing not only parents but the family bread winner.
UNISON is marking the second anniversary of this preventable tragedy by supporting the international trade union movement in calling for the European Commission to use its trade influence to ensure the momentum for reform in Bangladesh is not abandoned.
UNISON wants the EU to consider a partial suspension of trade privileges should the Bangladesh government continue to drag its heels in implementing vital labour law reforms – reforms they committed to implementing after the Rana Plaza disaster.
We are also calling on the multinational companies whose clothes were made in factories housed in the Rana Plaza building to contribute to the compensation fund as it is still $9m short of its target.
UNISON believes that no worker should have to endure unsafe working conditions which makes their work precarious. We believe that strong regulation supports better and safer workplaces.
We are also consumers and do not want to wear clothes that come from sweatshops where people are forced to work long hours for little pay and who worry about the safety of the building where they are employed.
UNISON is working in partnership with Labour Behind the Label to support two independent trade unions in Bangladesh through the UNISON international development fund.
UNISON will also be launching a joint solidarity initiative with Labour Behind the Label to set up a funding appeal for one of the garment workers’ federations to continue running their office outside Dhaka, which currently has over 100 garment workers visiting weekly for advice and support.
