The news of working conditions in Bangladesh left a particularly gruesome scar on the face of the fashion industry and in the hearts and minds of those who witnessed it, but fashion retailers like Inditex and H&M are stepping forward to take legal responsibility for the safety of factory workers in a move that is long overdue but a welcome change from status quo.
A group of mainly European retailers has finalized a plan to conduct coordinated inspections of factories in Bangladesh in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the Rana Plaza disaster that killed 1,129 people in April.
The collapse of Rana Plaza, a factory built on swampy ground outside Dhaka, on April 24 ranks among the world’s worst industrial accidents and has galvanized brands to look more closely at their suppliers.
The new accord was launched by trade unions in May and signed by 70 brands, including the world’s two biggest fashion retailers, Inditex and H&M, which have agreed to accept legal responsibility for safety at their Bangladesh factories. (Read More)
