Clean Clothes Campaign, an international platform of labour rights groups, has issued an ultimatum to H&M, a Swedish multinational clothing retailer, to ensure safe fire exits in its 32 Bangladeshi supplier factories by May 3. The labour rights groups from Bangladesh, Europe and North America comprising the platform has also made a call to the consumers to participate in a global day of action on May 3 demanding removal of locks from fire exits, removal of sliding doors and collapsible gates, and installation of fire-rated doors and enclosures in stairwells. The action which coincides with H&M’s 2016 Annual General Meeting in Solna, Sweden, demands that H&M finally keeps its promises to make its Bangladeshi supplier factories safe. ‘The call to action comes as the Swedish fast fashion retailer increases attempts to promote its sustainability commitments in the face of growing criticism of worker rights abuses in its supply chains,’ the CCC said in a statement on Thursday. The ultimatum was issued last week when H&M launched a series of events styled ‘Conscious Exclusive Collection’ at the Louvre in Paris to promote itself as a sustainable company. The move of the rights body follows a review of corrective action plans relating to the 32 strategic suppliers of H&M which showed that the majority of these factories still lack adequate fire exits nearly three years into an H&M commitment to improve the working conditions by signing the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a platform of European brands and buyers. ‘The importance of such repairs was once again underscored by a huge fire at an H&M supplier, Matrix Sweaters Ltd, in February. Only a handful of people suffered injuries, largely due to the fact that most workers had yet to arrive for their shift,’ the CCC statement said. It also mentioned that an inspection report of the Accord on the factory revealed that it had missed dozens of deadlines to eliminate fire hazards and make the structure safe. If the fire had broken out just an hour later, scores of workers might have been trapped inside. Workers’ rights advocates have called on H&M to prove its commitments through action rather than stunts. According to the CCC, H&M would launch a video featuring the pop star Mia to promote the company’s ‘World Recycle Week’ on April 18-24, the same week that labour rights activists will commemorate the 1,134 workers killed in the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013. That devastating garment industry disaster originally led to the signing of the Bangladesh Accord, mentioned the statement.
