Fashion brands to attend compensation meeting

All fashion brands and retailers that have been producing clothes at one of the factories affected by the Tazreen Fashions fire and the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh have been asked to attend a meeting discussing the

compensation for the victims and their families on 11th and 12th September in Geneva.

The meeting has been convened by IndustriAll Global Union and will be chaired by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as a neutral and independent party. Representatives of the Bangladesh government and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exports Association (BGMEA) have also been invited.

Brands and retailers need to commit to compensation

The meeting was first slated for 11th and 12th August in Dhaka and has been postponed by a month due to the “sudden illness of a key union official and a strike threat in Bangladesh” as IndustriAll explained in August. However, given that only a small amount of compensation has been paid to the victims of both tragedies so far, the meeting is more than overdue.

Its aim is to determine the amount of the long-term compensation for the Rana Plaza and Tazreen Fashion victims, estimated at 54 million euros (71 million US dollars) and at least 4.3 million euros (5.7 million US dollars), respectively. In addition, the brands' commitment to paying their share of the compensation is required as well as the development of a mechanism that will ensure the transparent and quick distribution of the compensation amount to those in need.

The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) targets especially fashion companies like Benetton, Mango and Walmart for their lack of responsiveness and responsibility. “Victims of the Tazreen fire have been waiting for over eight months to receive full compensation. Rana Plaza victims have been struggling to survive since the building collapsed in April. Benetton refuses to come to the meeting and Mango still dodges responsibility. Walmart, the biggest company in the world, whines that it can't keep control of its supply chain. Hundreds of families have lost breadwinners, while the workers who survived have been horrifically injured and lost their jobs, not to mention the psychological impact of these disasters. They deserve better,” said CCC’s Ineke Zeldenrust.

All brands and retailers have been asked to confirm their attendance by today.