Today is the fourth anniversary of the collapse of a factory in Bangladesh which killed 1,130 workers and injured 2,500. Since then, activists have tried to get 72 clothing and shoe retailers around the world to divulge the names and addresses of the factories that supply them. But say that only17 have complied.
‘Transparency is…a life or death issue’
“When this information is public companies are actually then opening themselves up to public scrutiny,” says Bob Jeffcott, a policy analyst at the Maquila Solidarity Network. “They can no longer hide and pretend they had no relationship to a factory when a disaster like this takes place…This question of transparency is actually a life or death issue.”
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Digging through the rubble
After the disaster at the Rana Plaza factory, people had to go through the rubble to find labels that revealed which companies were sourcing clothing from there. It took two years to get all the facts and another two years to get compensation for injured workers and the families of those who died.
Companies named
Among the companies lauded for revealing information now about their suppliers are Adidas, Nike, H & M, Hanesbrands, Levis, Patagonia and Mountain Equipment Co-op.
In terms of Canadian retailers, the campaign singles out Canadian Tire brands including Mark’s and Sport Chek for not providing information. Loblaw and Hudson’s Bay Company are taking steps to reveal more information about who makes their products.
Campaign urges Canadians to write to companies
The campaign is not asking Canadians to boycott the companies which haven’t disclosed information but rather to send online messages or letters to retailers asking them to do so.
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