April 24, 2013. In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, Rana Plaza collapses, a clothing factory where Primark and Benetton are produced. Officially, the building had only five floors, but in reality it had eight. The day before, workers refused to go inside. Cracks were clearly visible. Nevertheless, they were forced to, or they were threatened with dismissal. Result: 1 people died, 138 were injured.
This article previously appeared on the website of vision.net - 'Bangladesh Revisited' is an initiative of WSM, ACV and Visie
'Never again Rana Plaza', was the loud cry just after the disaster. And concrete action was taken. Under pressure from unions, NGOs and a number of clothing brands, the 'Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh' closed. This groundbreaking safety agreement provided for independent inspections and allowed clothing brands to provide financial support to invest in the safety of factories. But there is one weak spot: clothing brands decide for themselves whether or not to join the agreement. 'Since then, safety has certainly improved. But clothes are still made in poor conditions: minimum wages are far too low, there is no pension or benefit,' says Kalpona Akter of the Bangladeshi Workers' Association BCWS. 'Our to-do list is still very long.'
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Top three
Bangladesh is in the top three clothing exporting countries, after China and Vietnam. Making clothing and textiles 83 percent from the country’s exports. Minimum wages in the sector were last set in 2018. They are now worth a fraction of what they were five years ago due to inflation. Research shows that a living wage should be at least 193 euros, more than double the current minimum wage.
'It's a fight for basic rights,' confirms Akter. She herself started working in a clothing factory at the age of twelve to support her family. 'In the nineties, forty percent of the workforce consisted of children. There were no weekends, holidays or even breaks.' Bangladesh has had a labour law since 2006, but the controls are lax and mean nothing to subcontractors and sweatshops.
Ironing for C&A
Jasmin (24) has been ironing in a 'model factory' since she was 16, which, among other things, AC en Camel active clothing. With that she earns 89 euros per month. For working 48 hours per week, six days of eight hours. Every month a lot of – undeniable – overtime is added. With that she comes to an average of 111 euros per month.
'The working conditions here are good – by Bangladeshi standards', says Jasmin. 'Minimum wages are respected, overtime is paid, female workers can count on paid maternity leave … There are also separate toilets for women now, which was not the case before. There are enough drinking water facilities. In many factories, you are not allowed to drink much, because then you have to go to the toilet too often. During the corona, when the company was forced to close for a month, we still got part of our wages paid, which was not the case everywhere.' Jasmin is a worker representative in her company, one of the few factories that allows this. She has to organize union meetings outside the company walls.
At the complete other end of the chain is Wendy Cuypers (54). She has worked in a C&A store for 32 years and is concerned about the way the clothing is manufactured.
'As an employee, I ask myself questions about what happens on the other side of the chain. My colleagues in Bangladesh also need to be able to work in good conditions. By asking the right questions to management, we get this back on the agenda. Customers also sometimes ask questions, although that is still quite limited.'
Duty of Care Act
Ten years after the disaster in Rana Plaza, it is high time for the next step. Sara Ceustermans Clean Clothes Campaign and NGO WSM: 'In Belgium, in Europe and within the United Nations, we are campaigning for legislation that obliges companies to take care of their chain and what happens with subcontractors. And that obliges them to repair damage to people or the environment. However, the business world is lobbying to weaken these rules as much as possible. It is up to politics to ensure that legislation is enforced. The Safety Accord in Bangladesh shows that change is possible, but all companies must join in. Otherwise, unfair competition will arise.'
Laura Eliaerts van ACV International agrees with her: 'According to a study by the European Commission, only 16 percent of companies currently pay attention to the entire value chain. A duty of care law guarantees more transparency. If this law is passed, you can find out with one mouse click who produces and supplies where. Hiding is no longer possible.'
Do you as a consumer also want to be sure that your products are produced under fair conditions, with respect for people, the environment and decent work? Let us together establish the responsibility of companies in a European directive and urge our politicians to take action.
