North American Retailers Release Worker Safety Initiative for Factories in Bangladesh

A group of North American retailers, including Wal-Mart, Gap, Target and Macy’s, announced a plan last week to improve safety at garment factories in Bangladesh. Titled the Bangladesh Worker Safety Initiative, the binding five-year initiative will require all factories that conduct business with an alliance member to be inspected within a year. Additionally, common safety standards will be developed within three months, and an anonymous worker hotline will be established by November of this year, so that employees may report safety concerns without fear of retaliation. Members of the alliance have pledged $42 million to support the initiative, as well as another $100 million in loans to the factories to help improve safety. Some labor rights groups have criticized the agreement for not doing enough to guarantee funds for improvement and placing the onus on factory owners to improve their workplaces.

Click here to read the agreement.