On November 24, 2012, there was a fire at the Tazreen Design Ltd. factory in Bangladesh. Many large companies, including Sears and Wal-Mart, used the Tazreen Design factory for some of their garment production.

Today, April 15th, there is a meeting in Geneva comprised of companies who used this factory in Bangladesh. Both Wal-Mart and Sears did not respond to an invitation to attend.

“It’s so important for Western retailers to be at this meeting,” said Kalpona Akter, executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity,  who was in the U.S. last week to ask Wal-Mart to do more to help make Bangladesh factories safe. “If they’re not there, they’re totally giving the message that they are supporting these death traps and they really don’t care how many lives go to make these clothes.”

It is estimated that approximately 700 workers have died in factory fires in Bangladesh since 2005.  How many more individuals must give their life before companies step-up and pressure changes in the Bangladesh garment factories?

Please follow this link to read the full story as it appeared on Bloomberg’s website today. Here you will learn which companies are taking responsibility for the workers in their supply chains.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-14/wal-mart-sears-refuse-compensation-for-factory-victims.html

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this issue.

Fairwear until next time…….