Unions to protest Wal-Mart, Gap

Protesters say only binding requirements can reverse the deathtrap conditions at Bangladesh factories and have planned to rally in 30 cities Saturday (June 29) at Wal-Mart, Gap and other retailers who did not sign the Accord of Fire and Building Safety in Bangledesh last month.

United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS), labor unions and community groups are demanding that the companies sign onto the accord which holds corporations legally responsible for the safety of garment workers in Bangladesh.

The organizers say the protests are in response to the Rana Plaza factory collapse, which killed 1,127 workers and industry attempts to regulate worker safety in Bangladesh.

Both Wal-Mart and Gap opted to pursue their own compliance standards.

Wal-Mart said last month it is inspecting all of the factories that supply its products and these reviews will be completed within six months. The retailer said it will publicly release the names and inspection information on all 279 factories.

“Transparency is vital to make progress in improving factory conditions, and by disclosing this information, government, workers, non-governmental agencies, and companies can benefit from this work,” said Rajan Kamalanathan, vice president of Ethical Sourcing for Walmart. 

Wal-Mart said workers in these facilities can be assured of safer working conditions, and the entire market will be lifted to a new standard as a result of this commitment.

The retailer began more rigorous inspections under the enhanced safety program earlier this year, and will begin posting results of these inspections on June 1. 

Adding to this new level of supply chain transparency, last month the company began posting on its website the list of failed factories in Bangladesh that are no longer allowed to produce for Walmart:

The unions involved in Saturday’s protests include:
• United Students Against Sweatshops and labor groups including United Steelworkers
• Service Employees International Union,
• AFL-CIO,
• Amalgamated Transit Union,
• American Federation of Teachers,
• Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity,
• Bangladesh Garment & Industrial Workers Federation,
• Clean Clothes Campaign,
• IndustriALL,
• International Labor Rights Forum,
• Jobs With Justice,
• Labor Behind the Label, Maquila Solidarity Network,
• People & Planet, National Garment Workers Federation (Bangladesh),
• United Auto Workers,
• United Food and Commercial Workers, and
• Workers United (SEIU).