UNI Global Union in the news
The Bangladesh Accord and UNI Global Union message was highlighted this week in several top level publications such as The Financial Times, The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC, Sky, Le Monde and Le Figaro.
A year on since the Rana Plaza factory disaster claimed the lives of 1129 workers and injured thousands more, UNI took part in a global day of action to urge brands to pay compensation to the victims’ families.
General Secretary Philip Jennings told the BBC that the Bangladesh Accord was a game-changer not just in Bangladesh but all along the global supply chains of the big multinationals.
“The factory inspection reports of the Bangladesh Accord are transparent, and the full scale of the lax standards is now known. With this agreement we have now changed the rules of the supply-chain game,” Jennings said.
Deputy General Secretary, Christy Hoffman, said in the Guardian, “Some brands have not signed any initiative, and the pressure remains upon them to join the accord, along with so many others, and take a stand for a safe garment industry.
“The accord is being taken seriously by all of its stakeholders. All of the signatories, brands and unions are committed to ensure that no tragedy like Rana Plaza ever happens again.”
The Accord is an independent agreement designed to make all garment factories in Bangladesh safe workplaces. It includes independent safety inspections at factories and public reporting of the results of these inspections.
Links:
Financial Times - http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/be1a194a-c9ab-11e3-89f8-00144feabdc0.html
New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/22/business/international/battling-for-a-safer-bangladesh.html?_r=0
The Guardian - http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/garment-factory-working-conditions-rana-plaza-collapse-unions