Only a few weeks later the Bangladesh Safety Accord was launched. When in 2013 the Rana Plaza building collapsed - killing 1,134 workers - it was clear that something needed to change to address the notoriously unsafe Bangladesh garment industry. Brands have the power to make real changes in their supply chain, they just need to feel the right pressure from all of us to start moving. Workers can no longer wait for safe factories. It is also vital to ensure that the process to expand the Accord to other countries moves swiftly and won't limit itself to just one country. Not doing so means willingly putting workers' lives at risk. It's now paramount to ensure that all brands sign on to the International Accord, including those brands that never agreed to sign the original agreement. Especially in Pakistan, unions and labour organisations have been calling for an expansion of the Accord to their country for many years. This agreement will also enable for expansion to other countries, something which, eight years after the start of the initial programme, is direly needed. In August 2021 a new International Accord was concluded after long negotiations and campaigning. Each time we had to campaign hard to convince brands that they need to continue their commitment to factory safety. The original Accord ran for five years, and the follow-up Accord ran for three years. Unions take up half of the seats in the Accord's governance structures and can hold brands accountable. The Bangladesh Accord is so successful because it is a binding agreement that has real punishments for brands, retailers, and factories who do not take enough action.
This progress however needs to be protected. The Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety was established shortly after and has done important work improving factory safety for 2 million garment workers in Bangladesh. Before the Rana Plaza collapse in April 2013, which killed 1,134 workers, a lot of these factories were no more than death traps. Many garment brands have their clothes made in factories in Bangladesh.
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