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

Garment employer files charges against workers

15 June 2017 at 15:31

Workers at the Azim Group’s Orchid and Savar factories in Bangladesh, were attacked at the factory gates for wanting to form a union. Now company management has filed criminal charges against 61 of its workers.

Attempts to form unions met with violence in Bangladesh

31 May 2017 at 16:47

Workers at Azim Group’s Orchid and Savar factories in Chittagong have been subjected to violence, threats and coercion for wanting to form a union in the workplace.

EU must hold Bangladesh to account over labour violations

10 May 2017 at 11:17

Global trade unions are demanding the European Union holds Bangladesh to account over labour violations ahead of a key meeting to evaluate the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact on 18 May in Dhaka.

IndustriALL brings global solidarity to Bangladesh

3 May 2017 at 13:09

Following the success of IndustriALL’s global campaign to free the jailed unionists in Bangladesh, General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union Valter Sanches visited Bangladesh to meet with the IndustriALL Bangladesh Council and congratulate them on negotiating an agreement with employers and the government.

Rana Plaza - tragic anniversary marks need for Accord work to continue

24 April 2017 at 06:55

Today marks the fourth anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, killing 1,138 workers and injuring thousands more. Although progress has been made, efforts to make Bangladesh’s garment industry a safe place for workers are still needed and the Bangladesh Accord must continue beyond 2018.

Union action prevents potential repetition of Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh

18 April 2017 at 18:25

On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, which killed more than a 1,000 garment workers, swift action by an IndustriALL trade union affiliate in the country has prevented a potential tragedy from taking place.

Bangladesh: garment workers fight for their union to be legally registered

20 March 2017 at 17:31

Workers at the Orchid Sweater factory in Bangladesh are calling for solidarity support as their attempts to secure formal union registration have been repeatedly denied since February 2016.

Solidarity works - the 35 unionists and garment workers jailed in Bangladesh are released

2 March 2017 at 17:02

Congratulations to our affiliates in Bangladesh and thanks to all unions and activists around the world for helping with this campaign.Want to know more about what we did? Read our blog post Bangladesh: elements of a successful campaign

Breakthrough in Bangladesh as unionists and garment workers are freed following international pressure

23 February 2017 at 15:15

The majority of the 35 Bangladeshi unionists and garment workers arrested since December last year have been released, and the remaining should be released shortly. This follows an international campaign led by IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union against the Bangladesh government’s crackdown on the labour movement.

Global protests grow over Bangladesh crackdown against trade unions

16 February 2017 at 17:30

Protests have been taking place in over 16 cities, including Berlin, Geneva, London, Brussels, The Hague, Washington D.C., New York, Ottawa, Kathmandu, and Seoul.

Bangladeshi union signs collective agreement with Natural Denims Ltd.

15 February 2017 at 18:03

The Natural Denims Ltd. Sommilito Sramik Union has signed a two year collective agreement with the company for the first time.

Asia Pacific executive committee calls for immediate release of jailed unionists in Bangladesh

14 February 2017 at 16:04

The IndustriALL Global Union Asia-Pacific executive committee met in Singapore on 10 February 2017. This was the first meeting of the committee to take place since global congress, and progress was made towards advancing the action plan.

Bangladesh union repression intensifies

13 February 2017 at 12:42

A further nine trade union members from an IndustriALL Global Union affiliate in Bangladesh were arrested over the weekend as the government crackdown on garment workers escalates.

Bangladesh: Free jailed unionists and workers

6 February 2017 at 11:41

Since December 2016 at least 26 trade unionists and garment workers have been jailed for trade union activity in Bangladesh, following demands to increase the minimum wage. Join IndustriALL Global Union in calling on the Bangladeshi government for their immediate release.

Bangladesh crackdown calls preferential EU trade deal into question

2 February 2017 at 11:46

The latest crackdown on Bangladesh’s garment workers for demanding relief from poverty wages and hazardous working conditions must call into question the country’s continuing eligibility for trade preferences under the EU’s GSP regime, write Valter Sanches IndustriALL General Secretary, Philip Jennings UNI Global Union General Secretary and Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation.

Bangladesh: union signs collective agreement with Donglian Fashion in major turnaround

23 January 2017 at 16:44

**UPDATED**The Donglian Fashion Sommilito Sramik Union has signed a collective agreement with the company, setting an important precedent.

Bangladesh: Release arrested garment union leaders now!

19 January 2017 at 10:06

IndustriALL Global Union together with UNI Global Union has launched an online campaign calling on the government of Bangladesh to immediately and unconditionally release garment trade union leaders detained in recent weeks.

Crackdown on garment workers in Bangladesh must stop

5 January 2017 at 13:21

IndustriALL Global Union is calling for an immediate end to the persecution of garment workers, trade union leaders and worker activists in Bangladesh in light of a sinister crackdown by government authorities.

Bangladesh garment unions resolve to intensify organizing together

31 October 2016 at 11:15

During a workshop in Dhaka, IndustriALL affiliates in Bangladesh committed to organize more workers along the supply chain in the readymade garments sector.

Another factory fire in Bangladesh claims 24 lives

10 September 2016 at 19:53

An explosion in the Tempako Packaging Factory in an industrial area near Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 10 September has left up to 24 people dead and injured at least 50.

Enforceability key to changing Bangladesh’s garment industry

2 June 2016 at 19:46

Three years after the creation of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, its current status and future challenges were discussed at a side event at the International Labour Conference in Geneva on 2 June. Despite some unacceptable delays in remediation progress, the Accord is making significant headway according to representatives from both workers and brands.

Bangladesh unions take forward demand for living wage

26 April 2016 at 17:37

In a national workshop on the living wage held on 22 and 23 April 2016 in Dhaka, Bangladeshi unions resolved to intensify their campaign for a living wage.

Workers demand justice on third anniversary of Rana Plaza collapse

26 April 2016 at 10:11

On 24 April, workers in Bangladesh and Pakistan remembered the dead and demanded improved factory safety, and punishment to those responsible for the garment factory tragedy in Bangladesh three years ago.

Why boycotting brands won’t help garment workers

21 April 2016 at 15:09

By Jenny Holdcroft, policy director at IndustriALL Global Union.

3 years on from Rana Plaza, the Bangladesh Accord is saving lives

21 April 2016 at 12:14

As one of the worst industrial disasters in recent history, the Rana Plaza factory collapse is a reminder that disregarding human and labour rights can cost lives. Three years on, Bangladesh’s garment industry is starting to feel the benefits of the Accord on Fire and Safety in Bangladesh.