Global rights groups on Wednesday called upon all foreign brands, including the Alliance signatories, sourcing apparel products from Bangladesh to sign 2018 Transition Accord.They expressed concern over Bangladesh’s covert opposition to Accord’s continuing its work after May and reiterated the need for the Accord to continue in the absence of a credible and accountable local authority.The groups also requested the government for creating an ’employment injury insurance system’ for providing compensation in the event of any factory accident, according to a statement of Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC).So far, 144 global brands have signed 2018 Accord, covering more than 1,300 factories and approximately two million workers. The new Accord is also expected to look into issues beyond workplace safety, including freedom of association.CCC, IndustriALL Global Union, UNI Global Union, International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF), Maquila Solidarity Network and Worker Rights Consortium made the call on the eve of the fifth anniversary of Rana Plaza disaster that killed 1,134 workers and injured about 2,500 on April 24, 2013.They are calling on all brands, including the Alliance signatory brands like GAP and Walmart, to take responsibility of the workers making their products by signing the renewed Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety.”We are concerned about receiving signals from Bangladesh that there is opposition to Accord continuing its work after May,” said UNI Global Union deputy general secretary Christy Hoffman.It is clear that for many major brands, the renewal of Accord is essential for maintaining their business relationships in Bangladesh, until its work is taken over by a credible national body, she added.”Rana Plaza collapse has shown that the traditional audits have failed the workers, and that in absence of a credible and accountable alternative, the continuation of legally-binding Accord is needed to prevent another such disaster,” said ILRF executive director Judy Gearhart.This should be acknowledged by brands that have not yet renewed their commitment to 2018 Transition Accord and those that were part of Alliance, she added.IndustriALL assistant general secretary Jenny Holdcrof stated that brands that are not signing 2018 Accord are getting a free ride from the brands that do, by benefiting from being able to source from safer factories without contributing to the joint effort.Support for Accord is critical while there is still no effective national regulatory body in place that can guarantee factory safety, she added.CCC international coordinator Ineke Zeldenrust emphasised introducing employment injury insurance system in Bangladesh to ensure that if factory incidents happen, workers can count on a reliable system to get compensation.2018 Transition Accord takes over the work of current Accord when it expires in May, and will ensure that work continues to improve factory safety, the statement added.The Accord-inspected factories have remediated 84 per cent of their initially-identified safety hazards.
