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16 September, 2026300 garment brands and retailers have now signed the International Accord. The legally binding agreement on worker health and safety across textile and garment factories covers over 3.4 million workers across 2,000 factories in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie says:
“300 signatories is a significant achievement and represents a massive shift in how global brands approach worker protection. But this achievement is only valuable if brands continue their commitment and will become even more transformative if more join them.”
Born from catastrophe
On 24 April 2013, the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Dhaka, killing 1,134 garment workers. The tragedy was the result of an industry built on the principle that worker safety was someone else’s responsibility.
The Bangladesh Accord came into force in May 2013 with 43 signatories. What followed has been measurable, documented change. Over 74,000 independent factory inspections have been carried out, checking compliance with fire, electrical, boiler and structural safety standards. The remediation rate stands at 81 per cent. More than 2.9 million workers have been trained in workplace safety. Over 2,300 complaints have been successfully resolved through the enforceable grievance mechanism.
The path has not always been smooth. Legal challenges from factory owners threatened the Accord’s operations. Some brands have walked away. Others have dragged their feet. But the framework held and it expanded to Pakistan in 2022, and then to a new International Accord in 2023.
The current Accord runs until the end of 2026 with an automatic renewal of another three years making it the longest Accord commitment. Renegotiations for the Bangladesh Safety Agreement are underway.
“IndustriALL and its affiliates are pushing for expansion: broader coverage, stronger complaint mechanisms, more effective governance. Trade unions will not settle for the status quo,”
says Atle Høie.