News

Geneva 16 May 2013 - Commerce unions from all continents are here at UNI HQ today to thrash out plans for a new world of retail in the wake of the Bangladesh Factory Safety Deal. With news of an overnight Cambodian shoe factory collapse, union leaders are determined to reach a safe garment supply chain everywhere. IndustriALL and UNI Global Union in a powerful pact with leading NGOs, Clean Clothes Campaign and Workers Rights Consortium, have signed up leading global retailers to a legally-binding agreement to improve safety in Bangladesh.

During an emergency meeting of Global Commerce unions at UNI headquarters in Nyon today, UNI Global Union General Secretary, Philip Jennings said, “The race to the bottom stops here. The tragic events in Cambodia overnight confirm that we need a new era of responsible retailing and we are here to see it gets done. The Bangladesh Accord has laid down a marker in the sand.”

Ruben Cortina, President UNI Commerce Global Union said, “The Bangladesh Accord is a point of departure. Retail unions want ethical sourcing everywhere.”

The following companies have now signed on:

H&M, Inditex, C&A, PVH, Tchibo, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Primark, El Corte Inglés, jbc, Mango, Carrefour, KiK, Helly Hansen, G-Star, Aldi, New Look, Mothercare, Loblaws, Sainsbury’s, Benetton, N Brown Group, Stockmann, WE Europe, Esprit, Rewe, Next, Lidl, Hess Natur, Switcher, Abercrombie & Fitch, John Lewis, Charles Vögele, V&D, Otto Group, s.Oliver, Bonmarche, HEMA.

Jennings said there was one notable absentee – Walmart- who want to be their own judge and jury.

Bones Skulu, General Secretary, SACCAWU, the largest shop workers union in South Africa and UNI Africa President said, “We in South Africa are not surprised that Walmart has not signed up. This is further confirmation of their anti-worker stance.”

John Hannett, General Secretary of USDAW and President of UNI Europa Commerce said, “We will now follow up and enter talks with retailers in each of our nations to end the race to the bottom in the supply chain wherever garments are produced.”

Joe de Bruyn, General Secretary of the largest shop workers union in Australia, the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association and President of UNI Global Union said, “I appeal to retail companies everywhere, including Australia to get behind this agreement. We have an opportunity to change the retail industry forever.”

More than 1,200 people died in the Rana Plaza building collapse, Bangladesh’s largest industrial tragedy. There are already a number of confirmed dead from the shoe factory collapse in Kampong Speu province Cambodia and the number is expected to rise with upto 100 workers believed to have been in the building at the time of the collapse.

Contacts

Tom Grinter, IndustriALL, Mobile: +41 79 79 693 44 99, TGrinter@industriALL-Union.org

Richard Elliott, UNI Global Union, Mobile: +41 79 794 9709, richard.elliott@uniglobalunion.org