10 years of Rana Plaza: Südwind calls for tightening of the EU supply chain law

2023-04-24 10:03:07

In order to remedy persistent grievances and ensure human rights in production, Südwind calls for a stricter supply chain law and calls for a rally.

Vienna (OTS) – Vienna, April 24, 2023. Exactly 10 years ago today, the Rana Plaza textile factory in Bangladesh, where fashion was produced for many global companies under precarious conditions, collapsed. Over 1,100 people died and over 2,000 were injured – it was considered the worst disaster in the textile industry. A strict legal framework to prevent exploitation along the textile supply chain is still missing. Starvation wages, violations of labor rights and violations of environmental standards are still part of everyday life.

Plus Gertrude Klaffenböck. Südwind expert for global supply chains and coordinator of the Clean Clothes campaign in Austria: “We finally need a strong supply chain law to hold companies accountable for grievances. Neither the voluntary commitment nor the current EU draft law are sufficient for this.”

The ongoing grievances are favored by dubious controls and a lack of transparency in the supply chains. It is precisely in these areas that Südwind still sees large loopholes in the current draft for an EU supply chain law. In it, the company’s duty of care is limited to “established business relationships” and the question of controls is still unresolved. Tomorrow, Tuesday, the legal committee of the EU Parliament will vote on the draft law. This only covers a fraction of the companies, Südwind calls for an extension to all companies operating in the EU.

“We need mandatory due diligence along the entire supply chain and independent controls involving trade unions and NGOs, as well as liability and indemnification to prevent future disasters”emphasizes Klaffenböck.

Even ten years after Rana Plaza, the extremely low minimum wage in Bangladesh of around 8,000 taka (70 euros) per month is an ongoing problem. “A living wage is a human right. Responsible fashion companies must guarantee decent payment along their entire supply chain. Anything else cannot be called sustainable”according to Klaffenböck.

In response to the Rana Plaza tragedy, the so-called Bangladesh Accord was created, a binding agreement between companies and trade unions that stipulates fire protection and safety precautions. However, joining the agreement is voluntary and the area of application is limited to Bangladesh and Pakistan. That too must change.

Download: Print quality photos (Use free of charge, stating the photo credit)

Commemorative rally: “10 years of Rana Plaza” in Vienna
Mon., April 24, 2023, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Human Rights Square, Museumsquartier, 1070 Vienna.