Lessons to be learned a decade after tragedy

April 25, 2023 9:42 am

It is 10 years since the 2013 Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh when thousands were killed and injured.

In the factory building which collapsed clothing was being manufactured for Primark, among other fashion outlets. Following the incident the international accord was signed in 2013 and updated in 2021. This is the cross-border agreement which helps to fund inspections of clothing factories in Bangladesh and make factory owners liable to prosecution if factories do not comply with health and safety regulations.

Lothian MSP, Foysol Choudhury said: “10 years on from the deadly Rana Plaza tragedy, we pay tribute to the workers who lost their lives when the factory collapsed and we send our deepest sympathies to the loved ones they left behind.

“When a garment factory making clothes for international brands such as Primark collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 24 April 2013, 1,134 people were killed and at least another 2,000 injured.

“This was one of the deadliest industrial disasters and yet it would seem as though there are still lessons to be learnt by the garment industry worldwide.

“The general secretary of the Trades Union Congress has said “labour rights abuses are still rife” and that many workers are still subject to unsafe conditions.

“Earlier this year I also raised concerns about unethical practices, after responding to reports that high street retailers such as Zara and H&M have paid garment factories in Bangladesh less than the cost of production.

“Rightly, we fight for the rights of our workers at home. However, it would sadly seem that we neglect the rights of workers globally who are responsible for producing the clothes and items we use regularly.

“We cannot continue to operate on an ‘out of sight out of mind’ basis.

“Instead, we need to recognise that these practices are, in part, being propped up by the UK’s global unethical business practice.

“10 years on from the Rana Plaza tragedy, we need to shift our priorities and act to ensure that all workers involved in our production chains, around the world, have access to workers’ rights.”