A Look Back at Rana Plaza: Has Progress Been Made After a Decade?
In the bustling city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, home to over four million garment workers, the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in 2013 was a tragic reminder of the challenges faced by these workers. The catastrophe claimed at least 1,134 lives and over 2,500 injuries, sparking a global movement for improved working conditions and safety standards.
One of the leading voices in this movement is Kalpona Akter, a former child worker in a Bangladeshi garment factory and a prominent labor activist. Akter was touring the US campaigning for better working conditions when she heard about the Rana Plaza collapse. Immediately, she returned to Bangladesh and was present at the site of the collapse for 14 days.
The tragedy led to the establishment of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh in May 2013, a legally binding agreement between brands and trade unions. The Accord covers over 1,600 factories and two million workers, addressing safety hazards and improving working conditions. According to the Accord, over 100,000 safety hazards have been identified, and the majority have been mitigated.
However, the industry in Bangladesh is far from perfect. Nearly two million garment workers are not covered by the Accord, and trade unions face challenges such as police presence in industrial areas, surveillance, delay tactics, and worker termination in the formation of unions.
The demands for better wages are not new. Unions in Bangladesh are currently demanding an increase in the minimum wage to Tk23,000 (around $216), more than double the current minimum wage of 8,000 Bangladeshi Taka per month (around $75), reviewed in 2018. The National Garment Workers Federation, led by Amin Amirul Haque, is advocating for this increase.
The challenges are not unique to Bangladesh. Major garment-making hubs like Myanmar and Pakistan face similar issues. In response, the Pakistan Accord initiative was established in 2021, based on the Bangladesh Accord and focusing on improving health and safety conditions, working hours, sexual harassment, and gender-based violence. The Pakistan Accord covers not only garment factories but also fabric mills.
Brands are often accused of exploiting government practices in the countries they manufacture in to avoid labor rights responsibilities. This has led to criticism of the Ready-Made-Garment Sustainability Council (RSC), which has transitioned from the functions of the Bangladesh Accord. The RSC has been criticized for its tripartite setup and unequal representation of workers.
The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights state that businesses have an obligation to remedy state failures in labor rights. Despite this, notable brands like Amazon, Disney, Gap Inc., Levi's, and Ralph Lauren have yet to sign the Accord.
Photographer Adam Whyte's work sheds light on the ongoing struggle for garment workers' rights. His images capture the resilience and determination of workers fighting for a fairer and safer working environment.
Kalpona Akter continues to advocate for the expansion of the Accord to other countries like Sri Lanka, India, Morocco, and Mauritius. The struggle for garment workers' rights is a global one, and the movement shows no signs of slowing down.
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