ActionAid Australia has called out Australian fashion brand Best&Less for refusing to sign the International Accord. The call-out comes amid the 10-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy, which killed 1,132 garment workers and injured 2,500 others.
The International Accord is a safety agreement created in response to the Rana Plaza disaster, and ensures safe workplaces for Bangladeshi garment workers.
ActionAid said the Accord has conducted nearly 56,000 inspections across 2,400 garment factories in Bangladesh and identified 170,000 health and safety issues over the last 10 years, with 91% of those successfully remediated.
These inspections and subsequent safety repairs are funded by brands which have signed up to it.
ActionAid Bangladesh women’s rights manager Tamazer Ahmed said Best&Less’ refusal to sign is disappointing.
“Brands like Best&Less signing on to the International Accord is a vital step towards ensuring another Rana Plaza never happens,” Ahmed said.
“The ready-made garment sector employs over two and a half million women, represents 80% of Bangladesh's exports, yet these workers have historically worked incredibly long hours for little pay in often dangerous conditions.
“While there have been major changes in fire safety and building safety since the Rana Plaza collapse, and some progress in raising the minimum wage and getting baseline maternity leave, we can’t make further progress unless Australian brands like Best&Less get on board.”
The International Accord is an industry standard workplace safety mechanism covering garment workers in Bangladesh. It has been signed by 11 major Australian fashion companies, including APG & Co, Big W, Cotton On Group, Country Road Group, David Jones, Forever New, Kmart Group, The Iconic, The Just Group, Workwear Group, and Mosaic Brands Limited.
Best&Less shared a statement in response to the call-out, saying it is currently in “proactive” discussions with Bangladesh International Accord on this topic.
“For the purpose of clarity, Best&Less had no involvement in the unfortunate Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013,” the statement read.
“Our sourcing code at that time prevented us from working with factories in that area due to the very risks that the Accord today works to mitigate.
“Best&Less audits are conducted by third parties, and they cover each factory’s environmental impact, social practices, ethical practices and safety requirements and certifications, which includes building, chemical and fire safety.
“Best&Less was also one of the first retailers in Australia to set up a Grievance Hotline and Worker Surveys.”
The Australian fashion brand said it has 11 partners located in Bangladesh, adding its relationships with them extends close to ten years.
“Best&Less takes workplace health and safety very seriously, and we value the work undertaken by ActionAid Australia to promote this in fashion supply chains,” the statement continued.
“Whilst we appreciate the role that the Accord plays in Bangladesh, the Best&Less sourcing code extends beyond these parameters both in terms of our requirements and the countries it applies to.
“Best&Less undertakes comprehensive factory assessments and audits in every country we work with.
Best&Less said fair working conditions is a core part of its practices in accordance with its Ethical Sourcing Code.
“This expands to human rights considerations and International Labour Laws and standards, with our regular auditing program ensuring workers are paid fair wages by standards legislated by the country.”
Meanwhile, ActionAid has released new research revealing the continued challenges faced by survivors of the collapsed Rana Plaza.
The study involving 200 survivors who were injured in the tragedy found that 54.5% of survivors are currently unemployed, with physical health being the key reason.
More than one-third of survivors (36.8%) said they struggle with back pain, while a quarter (24.6%) said they suffered from headaches.
Out of the 29% who said they were still traumatised from the event, more than half said they lived in fear because of their experience of building collapse.