On July 6 2006, Spanish-based retailer Inditex
sent a letter to invite brands to participate
in a Voluntary Relief Scheme to provide much needed
support to workers who were injured and the families
of those who died when the Spectrum / Shahriyar
factory collapsed on April 11, 2005. Spectrum
/ Shahriyar was a garment factory supplying Inditex
(Zara) and many other European retailers, including
Carrefour, Cotton Group, Scapino and KarstadtQuelle.
Sixty-four people were killed, more than seventy
were injured and hundreds of workers were left
jobless as a result of the disaster. The relief
scheme, proposed to start this September, is one
of the demands that the CCC and Bangladeshi partners
have been making of garment companies sourcing
from the factory since its collapse. Inditex are
organizing the Voluntary Relief Scheme with the
International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’
Federation.
The CCC, CCC partners in Bangladesh (unions and
NGOs) and Spectrum/Shahriyar workers have all
supported the idea of a transparent trust fund
involving all companies and Bangladeshi partners
and that includes not only lump-sum compensation
payments, but also pensions based on calculations
that take wages, family composition and injury
level into account. As far as the CCC is informed,
the aid fund set up by KarstadtQuelle, Cotton
Group, Scapino and Steilmann does not meet this
criteria. Therefore, the CCC asks those companies
to participate in the Voluntary Relief Scheme.
Inditex aims to have the Relief Scheme in operation
by September 1, 2006. A deadline was set for July
20th for companies sourcing from the Spectrum
/ Shahriyar factory to give comments on the final
draft of the proposal and state whether they are
able to contribute to it and the extent of that
contribution. In multiple discussions that have
taken place over the previous months, it was envisaged
that contributions to the Scheme would be made
by Spectrum, the Government of Bangladesh, the
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BGMEA), brands and retailers.
The final amount required to provide the necessary
relief to the workers is calculated to be €533,323.39.
The NGO INCIDIN, the Bangladesh National Council
of Textile, Garment and Leather Workers and the
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BGMEA) were all involved in assessing
the level of compensation that would be paid to
workers and families of those injured and killed
in the collapse of the factory, based on field
research.
The CCC supports the request that companies sourcing
from the factory join the scheme and calls upon
them to contact Inditex immediately to join up
before September 1. The development of the Voluntary
Relief Scheme required legal advice and intensive
research to assess the needs of the survivors
and the families of those who died who are spread
all over the country. It would be unfortunate
if Spectrum-Shahriyar clients add to the length
of this process by delaying their participation
in this long-anticipated initiative.
During the 15 months since the factory collapse
the CCC has repeatedly reached out to the factory’s
clients to urge them to follow up on the failure
to ensure the safety of the men and women at their
supply facility, requesting that they contribute
to a fund such as the Voluntary Relief Scheme,
which aims to address the long-term needs of those
whose lives have been so negatively impacted by
this disaster. For an overview of the case of
the Spectrum-Shahriyar disaster, please see “Spectrum,
Bangladesh Garment Workers and their Demands One
Year After the Collapse of their Factory”
http://www.cleanclothes.org/urgent/06-04-06.htm.
The collapse of the Spectrum / Shahriyar factory
is not an isolated incident. There are wide-spread
health and safety violations in the Bangladesh
garment sector, as well as labour rights violations.
To take action to support improvements in health
and safety in Bangladesh garment factories, visit:
http://www.cleanclothes.org/urgent/06-03-15.htm
The CCC will follow up with the Spectrum buyers
to urge them to respond positively to the Scheme
and we will keep you informed.
