Clothing chains start with inspections in Bangladesh

Seventy big
companies demand safety

The
catastrophe has set several things in motion: a group of seventy European
retailers is demanding that subcontractors at least answer to the minimum rules
when it comes to safety, working conditions and wages. The biggest client in
the country, Swedish H&M, is part of the group asking for better conditions.
Unions and other non-governmental organisations are also participating.

During the
first stage Bengal subcontractors will be made aware of serious faults, with
the demand of fixing them within six months. If this means seizing activities,
employees will have the right to be compensated during the first six months.

If a
Western client fails to lead its subcontractors in the right direction, other
companies that signed the agreement will have the right to file a complaint. The complaint will first
reach a steering committee, later it can go through arbitration and the
judicial court in the home country of the company.

Americans
do not follow

A number,
mainly American, chains such as Walmart, GAP and JC Penney are not
participating. They prefer to regulate things on their own terms and they do
not feel like handing over part of the control to the unions. They are however
being put under pressure by the American government. President Barack Obama has
cut all privileges for the Bengal clothing sector, because safety still does
not get enough attention in the country.

A number of
American groups have joined the European agreement. Among them Abercrombie &
Fitch and PVH.

The
clothing sector in Bangladesh employs about 3.6 million people. It is the second
biggest clothing producer in the world, following China.