A year after the deadliest industrial accidents in history, multinational clothing brands are failing to meet the $40 million target to pay fair compensation to the victims of the Rana Plaza disaster.
More than 1,129 people were killed and a further 2,000 were injured when the eight-storey Rana Plaza building in Savar collapsed on 24 April 2013.
Brand contributions to the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund remain woefully inadequate. So far only around $15 million has been paid into the fund, established to give financial and medical support to the victims and their families consistent with guidelines set by the International Labour Organization (ILO), according to IndustriALL Global Union.
“We urge all the brands that have been working in Bangladesh to contribute to the fund with a considerable sum. They share a collective responsibility for this profoundly unsustainable production model and its hazards. This model that we are now about to change,” IndustriALL Global Union’s general secretary, Jyrki Raina said.
He said, “The lack of action is shocking. Brands such as Benetton, Adler Modermarkte, Carrefour and Matalan have so far failed to make any contributions to the Trust Fund, and they must pay up now. Current levels of contributions are clearly inadequate – Mango, KIK, Inditex and C&A are all brands that need to increase their payments. So far only Loblaw has agreed to pay an extra US$1.54million, bringing their total contribution to US$3.63million. The victims have suffered long enough, as the first anniversary approaches there can be no more excuses.”
“If funds are available, everything will be done within six months and it’ll be over with. If funds will not be available then in fact we haven’t made a service to these people because that means we have already raised even more expectations and if we are not able to meet that, it will not be a good situation.”
