10 Years Since The Rana Plaza Tragedy: How it Changed the Industry
Photo: Abir Abdullah via The Conversation
On April 24, 2013, a clothing factory called Rana Plaza that made garments for multiple clothing brands including Zara and Primark collapsed suddenly in Bangladesh. The plaza was eight stories and the tragedy killed about 1,100 people and injured 2,000 others. Many of these people were female garment workers forced to work long hours with little pay. Many of them also came to the building’s owner, Sohel Rana with concerns regarding the building’s infrastructure. The building had visible cracks and infrastructure issues, however, the owner ignored their concerns and forced them to come into work or they would lose their jobs. After the tragedy, 38 people, including the building’s owner, were charged by the Bangladesh police for murder, however, the trial is ongoing and no one has been convicted yet. Additionally, the police gave the injured victims and their families compensation of 4,000 taka (or $50) a month just for two years after the tragedy.
Some of the Rana Plaza Victims Photo: Ismail Ferdous via: CNN Style
“We realized how helpless they were … and we were also helpless [in] that we couldn’t do anything for them,” said Trade Union Leader and the Secretary General of the Bangladesh Garments & Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF) Babul Akhter. “The workers did not have any say because they were working for minimum wage … and they were not even unionized. So, they couldn’t collectively raise the issue [of not returning to work].” This was one of the deadliest garment factory disasters to date and it shook up the industry forever. Last week marked ten years since this tragedy, how has it impacted the fashion industry since then?
Photo: Getty Images via Fashionista
Within two weeks of the tragedy, many garment factories in Bangladesh were temporarily shut down. Additionally, an agreement was created between factories, brands, trade unions and authorities called the Accord on Fire and Safety in Bangladesh. The agreement includes an inspection program for fire hazards, electrical problems and building safety, monitors remediation, has training safety committees, addresses worker grievances and promotes transparency and accountability. This agreement was signed by about 200 brands and can apply to any factory in Bangladesh. Up to 30,000 factory inspections have taken place under this agreement. This agreement is a step in the right direction but it isn’t without its shortcomings. For one, it does not cover all garment factories in the world. Additionally, not all brands have signed this agreement so it only covers a small number of garment factories.
Rana Plaza Today Photo: Abir Abdullah via The Conversation
Today, Bangladesh is the second largest clothing exporter after China. Despite this, workers are still underpaid, overworked and experience terrible building conditions. Today, the average worker gets paid a minimum wage of 8,000 BDT (or about $77) a month. “Ten years after more than a thousand workers died in the Rana Plaza factory collapse, labour rights abuses are still rife in Bangladesh and many are still working in unsafe conditions,” Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress in the UK told The Guardian. “Relentless union campaigning secured important safety protections for factory workers. But many non-factory workers do not have the same protections.”
Families of the Victims Photo: Kevin Frayer via The Conversation
It seems like although an agreement was created, workers in Bangladesh still are not being protected and catered to like they should. The fashion industry is surviving because of these garment workers and yet, they are consistently under served by the same industry that utilizes them. This should not be normalized and the industry needs to do better to help the people that are creating their garments. Things have improved within the industry, but it is not enough. Garments workers need more support and the industry needs to be held more accountable for this abuse of power.
