TODAY, 24th April 2014, marks the first anniversary of the collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh, when 1,138 people lost their lives and 2,000 more were injured as the unsafe building collapsed.
The garment workers were producing clothes for the UK, European and US markets, but clothing brands’ contributions to the Donor Trust Fund remain shockingly low.
International trade union bodies IndustriALL and UNI, as well as leading labour rights network Clean Clothes Campaign, are still demanding all brands associated with Rana Plaza pay up and ensure the survivors and victims families receive the much needed support.
The Donor Trust Fund, which provides a central coordinated approach to collecting claims and distributing the money, still needs US$40 million in contributions to ensure that the 1,138 victims families and over 2,000 survivors receive much needed payments for loss of income and medical expenses.
By early April, just half the companies who have been connected to a factory in the building have made commitments, and the fund has just one third of the funds required.
‘Currently 15 brands, including Benetton, Matalan, Adler Modemarkte and Auchan, have failed to even make an initial contribution to the Donor Trust Fund,’ said Phillip Jennings of UNI Global Union, ‘we call on all of them to immediately make a significant donation to the Donor Trust Fund – the only inclusive, transparent and ILO-recognised compensation programme for Rana Plaza victims.’
Not all of the brands who have made donations have publicly stated how much they have contributed, however those that have have typically donated between US$500,000 and US$1 million.
Earlier this month, Ineke Zeldenrust, of Clean Clothes Campaign, said: ‘The 29 brands that sourced from factories within Rana Plaza either at the time of the collapse or in the recent past have combined profits of well in excess of US$22 billion a year, they are being asked to contribute less than 0.2% of these profits to go some way towards compensating the people their profits are built on – the Donor Trust Fund has been open for two months now and it is still a long way off the US$40 million that is required.
‘The Arrangement clearly has the necessary buy-in: the current donor list includes some of world’s biggest brand names, from both Europe and the US, but they are coming in frankly shockingly low levels given what they can afford.
‘It is clear that with two weeks to go and over two thirds of the money still needed even those brands who have made contributions need to make further donations, to bring their contributions up to a more significant level.
‘Only Primark have donated a more significant amount, with US$1 million directly to the Fund and payments made directly to workers in New Wave Bottoms, the factory they were sourcing from, implemented under the auspices of the scheme, taking their donation up to just under US$7 million.’
Jyrki Raina, of IndustriALL Global Union said: ‘The ILO chaired Arrangement under which the Donor Trust Fund is operated has already begun the process of registering claimants. The needs of the workers who survived this catastrophe, and the families of those who did not, are desperate.
‘This last year the victims have seen medical expenses, lack of income and the horrors of that day relived. The brands can show that they can be part of the solution – but only if they pay up. When in two weeks’ time the world asks all of us what we have done in response to the Rana Plaza disaster a year ago, do they want to say they have failed the victims?’
Actions are being taken today by trade unions and NGOs across Asia, Europe and North America, jointly with allies International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF), United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) and Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN).
IndustriALL and UNI said: ‘The Donor Trust Fund is open to all brands to donate to, regardless of whether they were sourcing from Rana Plaza or not.
‘The collapse of Rana Plaza was symptomatic of an industry-wide problem and as such we encourage all brands with a sourcing relationship with Bangladesh to make a contribution. Already brands N Brown Group, Gap, and VF Corporation have made voluntary donations in this manner.’
In the UK, Unison is backing Labour Behind the Label, a body which has been working with the unions to draw up a legally-binding safety agreement, and to set up a fund so that the victims of Rana Plaza and their families can be compensated by the brands.
To date, most of the brands – including UK high street retailers – have either refused to contribute to the fund or have failed to make a significant enough contribution. There is now a campaign calling on all brands to ‘pay up’. Labour Behind the Label is focussing on Matalan, which has not contributed to the fund.
At 11.38am today, thousands of people around the world will hold a minute’s silence in memory of the 1,138 people who lost their lives at Rana Plaza.
Unison NEC international committee chairman Jean Butcher said: ‘It is important that we show solidarity with the victims of Rana Plaza. They are workers just like us. Health and safety regulations around the globe are being undermined. And this is the result. Regulations save lives so we will continue to campaign for safe working conditions for all workers.’
A speaker at Unison’s recent international seminar, Nazma Akter – who has worked in the garment industry since she was 11 – said: ‘Cheap clothing, including offers such as “two for the price of one”, is delusionary. There is no such thing as free clothes. Someone has to pay. And that someone is the workers of Rana Plaza.’
In Australia, giant retailer Coles has been urged to sign an accord to prevent the use of sweatshops for clothing sold in Coles stores nationwide. Transport Workers Union National Secretary Tony Sheldon said the Bangladesh Government had urged western firms like Coles to sign a Fire and Safety Accord, setting minimum working standards for garment workers.
Sheldon said Woolworths, K-Mart and Target had signed the Fire and Safety Accord in the wake of the Rana Plaza collapse. But Coles refused to sign. As recently as January, Coles was selling Bangladesh clothing, likely sourced from sweatshops and firetraps like Rana Plaza,’ Sheldon said
‘That’s why we’re saying to Coles – give a New Year’s gift to the people of Bangladesh.
‘Sign the Fire and Safety Accord and help shut down the sweatshops where so many have died making cheap clothes for firms like Coles.’ The Bangladesh Fire and Safety Accord is an initiative of the Bangladesh Government, and sets minimum standards in fire protection and worker safety.
Meanwhile, garment workers continue to be fired and harassed at the Taratex BD Ltd. factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh, according to the Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers Union Federation (BIGUF).
More than 100 workers have been fired since they filed for union registration at the factory on February 4. Bangladesh garment workers rallied for safe jobs and living wages on International Women’s Day last month.
Then on Sunday this week, just ahead of the one year anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, BIGUF says factory managers detained the new union president and general secretary and pressured them to immediately resign from their positions in the factory by signing previously prepared documents.
They signed the documents after they were reportedly threatened, and were then removed from the factory. The two leaders were elected after the factory terminated the union’s 12 executive committee members in the lead up to the union being registered on April 4.
Six union members told BIGUF they have been forced to leave their homes for fear of their personal safety. BIGUF is working with the factory union to file an unfair labour practice in addition to the one it filed in February 24.
The federation says it remains ‘deeply concerned about the ongoing pattern of anti-union retaliation and mass terminations at Taratex.’ BIGUF is calling for immediate reinstatement and back pay for all workers who have been fired.