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ACTION on Bangladesh

On 24 April 2013, the Rana Plaza collapsed, killing 1,100 workers and injuring thousands more. Since then, more than 200 global brands and retailers have signed the historic the Accord on Fire and Building Safety and more than 1,500 factory inspections have been carried out. The Rana Plaza compensation fund, set up for the victims and their families, has finally reached its target of US$30 million.

For a truly safe and sustainable garment industry strong trade unions are needed - IndustriALL is relentless in pursuing our goal to organize and to fight for a living wage for all garment workers.

Bangladesh Accord Signatories

Timeline

18 June, 2015 Global unions denounce comments made by Bangladesh Finance Minister

8 June 2015, Rana Plaza victims’ compensation fund reaches US$30 million target

29 April 2015, Last push to close the compensation gap

23 April 2015, Rob Wayss, executive director, and Brad Loewen, chief safety inspector, talk about safety in garment factories

17 April 2015, Reactive statement: Benetton pays $1.1 million into Rana Plaza compensation fund

24 March 2015, Rana Plaza: Countdown to second anniversary begins with compensation fund still US$9 million short

20 February 2015, Benetton agrees to pay Rana Plaza compensation

19 February 2015, Global Unions say to Benetton 'Pagare'/Pay Up!

12 February 2015, Union strength and brand pressure

15 January 2015, "Seeing tremendous gains in life safety," says Brad Loewen, Accord chief safety inspector

20 August 2014, Organizing in Bangladesh – changing the dynamics

6 August 2014, Unpaid garment workers on hunger strike

17 July 2014, More action needed from Bangladesh Government

15 May 2014, Tally Weijl signs Bangladesh Accord on one year anniversary

15 May 2014, One year anniversary of the Bangladesh Accord

24 April 2014, Brands’ commitment to Rana Plaza compensation fund woefully inadequate

24 April 2014, Rana Plaza - survivor stories - Rehana Khartun

24 April 2014, I was forced to go up - Rana Plaza victim

23 April 2014, What does the Bangladesh Accord deliver?

23 April 2014, Q&A with Jyrki Raina one year after Rana Plaza

23 April 2014, Q&A with Mojtaba Kazazi

9 April 2014, Clothing brands fail Rana Plaza survivors

25 March 2014, Bangladesh action in full swing

19 March 2014, Rana Plaza Trust Fund to launch worker payments as of 24 March

14 March 2014, Rana Plaza: Primark called on to pay up as launch date of payments announced

10 March 2014, First round of independent and transparent factory inspection reports completed in Bangladesh

7 March 2014, Rana Plaza brands must pay compensation by 9am on 24 April

3 March 2014, Jyrki Raina speaks about his tour to five Asian countries

20 February 2014, Rana Plaza compensation arrangement needs brands’ commitment

29 January 2014, Migros and Coop refuse to sign Bangladesh safety accord despite 1800 deaths in 7 years

15 January 2014, Bangladesh Accord announces establishment of factory safety inspection standards

27 December 2013, Compensation fund created for Rana Plaza victims

20 December 2013, A Year of Struggle and Victories

19 December 2013, JUST GROUP – “Just sign it”

16 december 2013, Final call before Christmas for Swiss supermarkets to sign Accord

5 December 2013, IndustriALL launches second issue of “Global Worker”

28 November 2013, IndustriALL leading the struggle for Bangladeshi garment workers

26 November 2013, Bangladesh - 1 year after the Tazreen Fashion factory fire

26 November 2013, One-year anniversary - injured workers and family members of dead workers of Tazreen form human chain

21 November 2013, IndustriALL marks one year since Tazreen fire

15 November 2013, Rana Plaza compensation talks still frustrate

25 October 2013, Candlelit vigil at Rana Plaza

24 October 2013, Human chain at the site of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh.

24 October 2013, Families hold candlelit vigil at Rana Plaza site six months on

24 October 2013, BANGLADESH - 6 months after the collapse of Rana Plaza - Jyrki Raina

24 October 2013, marks 6 months since the Rana Plaza collapse

24 October 2013, Accord statement upon the six-month anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster

18 October 2013, Bangladesh Accord appoints its leadership team

17 October 2013, 100 brand milestone for Bangladesh Accord

24 September 2013, 200,000 Bangladeshi garment workers rally for a decent wage

11-12 September 2013, Bangladesh compensation meetings in Geneva

29 July 2013, Delegation in Dhaka promotes implementation of Accord

8 July 2013, New EU Compact urges companies to sign Bangladesh Accord

July 2013, Bangladesh Safety Accord implementation moving forward

26 June 2013, OECD National Contact Points support Bangladesh Accord

20 June 2013, Ban Ki-moon backs Bangladesh Safety Deal

June 2013, Bangladeshi unions reject inadequate labour law changes

6 June 2013, IndustriALL, UNI and ITUC visit Bangladesh

31 May 2013, Walmart and GAP run away from Bangladesh Accord

23 May 2013, Global brands pull together on Bangladesh safety deal

15 May 2013, Release of Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety

14 May 2013, Final Countdown for companies to sign Accord before 15 May midnight deadline

13 May 2013, Companies sigh the Accord on Fire and Building safety

9 May 2013, 8 killed in fire in Tung Hai garment factory in Mirpur, Dhaka

6 May 2013, EU Commission commits to push for fundamental rights in Bangladesh garment sector

29 April 2013, Deadline set for 15 May for a Bangladesh safety plan

26 April 2013, over 5000 workers protest in Dhaka

24 April 2013, RANA PLAZA COLLAPSE

15 April 2013, European brands agree to compensate Tazreen victims

24 February 2013, Families of fire victims get compensation

22 February 2013, IndustriALL Multi-stakeholder meeting in Dhaka

26 January 2013, 7 workers die in fire at Smart Fashions

17 January 2013, European Parliament adopts resolution on factory fires (

15 January 2013, Tripartite effort on fire safety in Bangladesh

December 2012, Global unions call for measures after Tazreen fire

26 November 2012, day of mourning for fire victims

24 November 2012, over 100 workers die in fire at the Tazreen Fashion

7 October 2012, fire in Begun Bari and Sattala slums area

20 September 2012, Tchibo joins agreement on garment factory safety in Bangladesh

Next steps for the Accord

4 September 2019 at 11:10

Representatives from the Steering Committee of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and the Bangladesh garment employers’ association (BGMEA) have met in Dhaka to discuss the establishment of the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC), as agreed in the memorandum of understanding signed between the Accord Steering Committee and the BGMEA in May this year.

Bangladesh Accord achievements secured

19 May 2019 at 18:16

A breakthrough agreement has been reached between the Accord and the Bangladesh garment employers’ association (BGMEA) that will ensure that the progress made on factory safety in Bangladesh will continue. On 19 May, the agreement was accepted by the Bangladesh Appellate Court which has given permission for the Accord to continue during a 12 month transition period.

Bangladesh unions call for Accord to continue on 6th anniversary of Rana Plaza

24 April 2019 at 16:27

The IndustriALL Bangladesh Council called for the continuation of the Accord in Bangladesh in a demonstration today to mark the sixth anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster.

Why transparency is key to transforming the fashion industry

24 April 2019 at 10:03

Six years after Rana Plaza, the deadliest disaster in the garment industry, independent and transparent fire and building inspections by the Bangladesh Accord have transformed the safety of thousands of garment factories in the country, writes Jenny Holdcroft, assistant general secretary, IndustriALL Global Union.

The Accord must continue in Bangladesh until the government is truly able to ensure worker safety

15 April 2019 at 11:35

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has given another short-term extension to the Bangladesh Accord, scheduling the next hearing to determine the safety program’s fate on 19 May 2019. UNI Global Union and IndustriALL Global Union, two signatories of the Accord, have issued a statement calling for a resolution that protects garment workers in the country.

Bangladesh unions call to reinstate over 12,000 retrenched garment workers

8 March 2019 at 09:16

In a letter to the minister of labour and employment on 5 March, the IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC) demanded immediate intervention of the government to withdraw false cases, free the imprisoned and reinstate all dismissed workers in the backdrop of mass protests for wage hike across readymade garment manufacturing units.

Bangladesh Government must intervene to secure garment factory safety

5 March 2019 at 10:02

The Bangladesh Government continues to insist that the Accord on Fire and Building Safety leaves Bangladesh by a fixed date, regardless of whether there is a competent safety authority to replace it.

Bangladesh Government set to throw away Accord achievements

13 February 2019 at 16:05

The Bangladesh Government is set to throw away the achievements of the Bangladesh Accord, which was a response to the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013 that claimed more than 1000 lives.Rather than negotiate a responsible handover of Accord functions, the Government of Bangladesh is intransigent in insisting that the Accord leaves Bangladesh by a fixed date, regardless of whether there is a competent safety authority to replace it.

Over 11,600 Bangladesh garment workers lose jobs and face repression

11 February 2019 at 16:57

A massive wave of protesting garment workers demanding an increase of minimum wages swept across Bangladesh’s garment industry in December 2018 and January 2019. State repression following the protest has resulted in arrests and mass terminations of workers in more than a hundred garment manufacturing units.

It’s no surprise that the Spice Girls T-shirt was made by workers on poverty wages

21 January 2019 at 17:38

The bitter irony of a T-shirt promoting gender justice being made by women on poverty wages reflects an ongoing disconnect between campaigners in the West, and the realities of global supply chains.

Garment worker killed and 50 injured in Bangladesh clashes

10 January 2019 at 13:49

A garment worker has been killed and another 50 injured after Bangladeshi police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at around 5,000 protesting workers on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, on Tuesday 8 January.

Bangladesh government attempts to paralyze Accord and strip its independence

10 December 2018 at 15:09

The Bangladesh government is using proceedings before the Supreme Court of Bangladesh to prevent the Accord from operating, thereby putting workers’ safety at risk.

Trade unions across the globe show support for Bangladesh Accord

5 December 2018 at 09:59

More than 200 trade union leaders from all corners of the world showed unanimous support for the Bangladesh Accord at IndustriALL Global Union’s Executive Committee meeting in Mexico on 29 and 30 November.

Bangladesh must keep Accord on Fire and Building Safety

19 November 2018 at 14:49

IndustriALL Global Union strongly urges the government of Bangladesh to petition the High Court to lift a restraining order that seeks to expel the Accord from the country on 30 November.

Implementing global agreements with brands in the garment sector

3 October 2018 at 10:49

Around 130 union leaders from Turkey and Bangladesh met in Istanbul, Turkey, to exchange experiences and knowledge on union organizing, collective bargaining agreements and social dialogue within the context of the implementation of global framework agreements (GFAs).

Bangladeshi unions call for new minimum wage to be doubled

2 October 2018 at 09:46

The IndustriALL Bangladesh Council has called for an immediate review of the new minimum wage, saying it fails to meet workers’ expectations. They demand that the new rate be doubled.

Signatories to the 2018 Accord

10 September 2018 at 13:30

A list of brands and retailers that have signed the 2018 Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.

Beyond Bangladesh, OECD countries must act to save lives in the garment industry

27 August 2018 at 15:36

On 24 April 2013, the world woke up to the reality of garment factory conditions in Bangladesh when more than a thousand workers were killed and over two thousand injured after the Rana Plaza garment factory complex, supplying western brands, collapsed.

Bangladesh Accord arbitration cases - resulting in millions-of-dollars in settlements - officially closed

18 July 2018 at 12:10

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has announced that two landmark cases against multinational fashion brands brought under the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety have been officially closed. The tribunal hearing the case issued termination orders this week, and the cases were brought by global unions IndustriALL and UNI.

Bangladesh Accord will continue until government is ready to take over its functions

14 May 2018 at 12:59

As the 2013 Accord prepares for its expiry this month and its replacement by the 2018 Transition Accord, the occasion was marked by a joint press conference between the Accord and the Bangladesh association of factory owners (BGMEA).

Five years after Rana Plaza, the need for the Bangladesh Accord persists

23 April 2018 at 08:04

A few days before the fifth anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster that killed 1,134 workers, global trade unions and labour rights organizations are calling on all brands sourcing from Bangladesh to take responsibility for workers making their products by signing the renewed Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety.

Bangladesh garment workers call for increased minimum wage

5 March 2018 at 14:19

The current minimum wage for garment workers in Bangladesh is US$68 and was set in 2013; now the IndustriALL Bangladesh Council is demanding an increase to US$192.

100 days until current Accord ends – labour signatories urge brands to sign onto 2018 Accord

22 February 2018 at 09:13

With 100 days until the current Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety expires, garment companies are urged to continue their involvement to create a safe and sustainable garment industry in Bangladesh and to sign its successor, the 2018 Transition Accord.

More than 100 brands sign 2018 Transition Accord in Bangladesh

14 February 2018 at 13:37

The agreement to improve garment industry safety standards now covers more than 2 million workers

Global unions reach US$2.3 million Bangladesh Accord settlement with multinational brand

22 January 2018 at 11:21

IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union have reached a US$2.3 million settlement with a multinational apparel brand to remedy life-threatening workplace hazards. The settlement, reached through an arbitration process under the legally-binding Bangladesh Accord for Fire and Building Safety, represents one of the largest payments made by a brand to remedy workplace dangers in its supply chain.

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