Help put an end to deadly working conditions in garment factories

Dear Friends,

In recent weeks one incident after another at garment and textile factories in Bangladesh has caused the death and injury of numerous workers, making clear that sector-wide structural measures to improve health and safety conditions are urgently needed. On February 27 we informed you of incients at the KTS Textile, Phoenix, and Imam facilities, but since then, we regret to report that on March 6 another fire left three workers dead and some 50 workers injured at Saiem Fashion in Gazipur.

Bangladesh workers' rights organizations demand follow-up

Local trade unions and other labor rights organizations throughout Bangladesh have held numerous demonstrations to protest the three fires and one building collapse in the past weeks that have killed and injured garment workers. On March 2nd a national half-day strike was observed in Bangladesh garment sector to draw attention to these events and the need to investigate these tragedies, provide compensation to the injured and families of the dead, and develop a long-term plan to improve conditions.

Local unions are calling for the arrest and prosecution of factory owners where these tragedies occurred, as well as fines for those factories that continue to lock exits during working hours (as in numerous incidents over the years, in the recent KTS case workers died due to a locked exit). Unions say they would like to the see the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the government cancel licenses of factories that do not meet health and safety standards. They also would like to see international buyers take immediate measures, both individually and collectively, to implement their codes of conduct so workers no longer risk their lives producing clothes.

Industry Response Insufficent

At an emergency meeting Feb. 25th the BGMEA, reportedly in response to pressure from international buyers, announced plans to inspect all garment factories in the country within one month (it is unclear if this refers only to the BGMEA's approximately 4,000 member factories or if the scope is intended to be larger). According to local media sources, the government has given the BGMEA until March 19th to detect and begin shutting down all factories that are not in compliance with safety standards. Of prime concern to labor rights advocates is the whether or not provisions are being made to ensure that workers at any facilities that are shut down are given fair compensation.

Inspections are apparently underway, with teams composed of representatives from the BGMEA, the labor inspectorate, fire service inspectorate and RAJUK (an urban development and planning authority). Local reports note that the government's factory inspection office (under the directorate of labor) hopelessly lacks the capacity to comprehensively inspect workplaces for compliance with safety and other standards - only 20 inspectors are employed for a reported 50,000 factories (not just garment factories).

At this time the CCC is not aware of any action taken by buyers who were specifically contacted by our US colleagues thus far in relation to their production at the KTS, Imam, Phoenix, or Sayem facilities and their reponsibility to follow up (for more details on these cases, and action requests, please see below).

Never Again!

International Action Day for Workers Health & Safety in Bangladesh

These terrible recent tragedies follow upon a long line of similar and, sadly, preventable incidents in the Bangladesh garment and textile industries. Local and international unions and NGOs have long been calling for large-scale improvements to conditions in the industry in Bangladesh, pressing not only local but international stakeholders to take action. In the wake of the Spectrum-Shahriyar factory collapse in April 2005 Bangladesh unions and labor rights NGOs again called for structural measures to be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. This would include a structural review of multi-story buildings and facilities inspection mechanisms. An independent international oversight committee/program should be formed, charged with examining occupational health and safety regulations and their implementation (including emergency regulations). In addition to addressing technical matters, workes' access to safe channels by which they can communicate their concerns on issues such as health and safety to their employers must also be addressed. The committee should be given a multi-year assignment in order to ensure that follow-up takes place on any recommendations that will be made.

While there has been some attention given to these issues, the response has been too little, too late, as witnessed by the loss of life in recent weeks. A small number of buyers only have re-audited all their suppliers including in relations to building safety standards.

Following the death of 64 workers in the collapse of the Spectrum-Shahriyar factory last year, the government created a "Social Compliance Forum for Readymade Garments" headed by the commerce minister. This forum has met a number of times and established two task forces (one on safety and one on labor welfare). Activity by the task forces in the ten months since the Spectrum collapse has been limited to identifying a long list of improvement needed - most already required by law - together with an indication of whether theese are needed in the short, medium, or longer term.

Meanwhile, the MFA Forum, a loose association of international buyers, trade unions and international organisations, has conducted meetings in Bangladesh, during which, in the wake of the Spectrum collapse the issue of long-term structural measures to ensure compliance with labour standards has been discussed. The MFA Forum has also been engaging directly with key stakeholders in Bangladesh including trade unions, NGOs, the BGMEA, and the government. See: http://www.accountability.org.uk/mfa_forum/bangladesh/index.php?view=article&id=5l for more on the MFA Forum's work.The CCC encourages this group, which reportedly brings together buyers sourcing 90% of the the total volume of garments produced in Bangladesh, to play an active role in pushing for concrete change in the Bangladesh garment and textile sector, specifically to ensure that a comprehensive saftey review, as outlined above, is carried out without any more delays.

Therefore the CCC joins its Bangladeshi partners in calling for an International Action Day for Workers Health & Safety in Bangladesh on April 11th- the one-year anniversary of the Spectrum-Shahriyar collapse, in which survivors and families of the dead are still awaiting adequate compensation [For more on the outstanding demands in this case and about the European brands sourcing at this factory, please see http://www.cleanclothes.org]. Watch the CCC website for more information on how you can participate in this international action day.

Four recent tragedies

(source: compiled from various local media and workers' rights organizations, please note that numbers of dead and injured are subject to adjustment as more information becomes available on casualties)

February 23: KTS Textile Industries, Chittagong: 61 dead, approximately 100 injured : a fire, caused by an electrical short circuit, killed an estimated 61 (including 12, 13, and 14-year-old girls) and injured approximately 100, workers estimate that some 400-500 people were working in the builidng at the time. At the time of the fire, locked exits prevented workers from escaping from this facility, located in the Kalurghat BSCIC industial area; at least one local media source reported that it was possible the main gate was intentionally locked at the time of the fire to prevent theft from the factory; sources report that there was no fire safety equipment at the factory, nor had there ever been a fire drill. The factory, producing for US companies [Uni Hosiery, Mermain International, ATT Enterprise, VIDA Enterprise, Leslee Scott, Inc, Ambiance, Andrew Scott], was reportedly in violation of numerous additional serious labor rights including: forced overtime, seven-day work weeks, payment of below subsistence level wages (seven to 14 cents per hour) , denial of legal maternity rights, physical abuse of workers, suppression of workers rights to freeedom of association and bargain collectively. Factory owner Wahidul Kabir reportedly lives in the United States, in California, where many of the factory's clients are based.

February 25: Phoenix Building, Dhaka: 22 dead, 50 injured : the five-story building in the Tejgaon industrial area collapsed following unauthorized renovations to convert the upperstories of the building into a 500-bed private hospital. The building had housed Phoenix Garments, but production was being phased out and relocated. At the time of the collapse one line of the garment factory was reportedly still running. Many of the dead appear to have been construction workers involved in the renovation, as well as people who were on an adjoining road at the time of the collpase, as well as those who lived in the slum nearby. Phoenix Garments reportedly produced clothes for export to Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Finland and Denmark. Owner Deen Mohammad, up until recently in hiding, surrendered to the High Court on Sunday; he is also the owner of the City Bank of Bangladesh. The top two floors of the building were constructed without any approval from the planning authority, local media report.

February 25: Imam Group, Chittagong: 57 injured : a transformer explosion caused workers to rush for the exits, dozens were injured when they were unable to get out the narrow exists, at this facility housing Moon Fashion Limited, Imam Fashion, Moon Textile, Leading Fashion and Bimon Inda garment factories. Clients reportedly include US retail giant Kmart and US-based Folsom Corporation.

March 6: Sayem Fashions, Gazipur: 3 dead, approximately 50 injured : A fire triggered by an electrical short circuit at the building housing Sayem Fashions, SK Sweater and Radiance Sweater 35 kilometers from Dhaka lead to a stampede when workers attempting to exit the premises were blocked by boxes. Workers' organizations report that other workers' rights violations at the facility included long working hours and seven-day work weeks. The building was reportedly owned by Monir Hossain, also the owner of Radiance Sweater and Sayem Fashions (the three women who died were all working at Sayem Fashion). US brands that have reportedly sourced at the factory include Charles F. Berg and Wet Seal. Other brands named in connection with production at this facility include Ada Gatti, Bershka Company, BSK Garments, X-Mail, Kreisy, Persival.

Action needed on all four cases

The CCC is calling for pressure on the Bangladesh government and the BGMEA to follow-up on demands from workers' rights advocates in Bangladesh in relation to these four specific tragedies, and also to take credible action to address long-term sector-wide needs for improvement. The CCC also believes that the brands and retailers sourcing production at these facilities have a responsibility to follow-up, as do all companies producing their garments in Bangladesh. To send letters of concern regarding the ongoing unsafe working conditions in Bangladesh garment factories please see below.