Brands sign on to a new Bangladesh Accord

“This International Accord is a major achievement towards keeping the textile and garment industry safe and sustainable,” said Industrial Global Union general secretary Valter Sanches.

The agreement keeps the legally obligatory clause for corporations, but the scope has been broadened to include other nations and additional obligations, including general health and safety. We applaud our sector affiliates, particularly those from Bangladesh, who have pushed for enforceable obligations for health and safety in the industry.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Clean Clothes Campaign have welcomed the new agreement. They say it will extend safety gains of the Bangladesh Accord to other countries where workers’ lives remain daily at risk. However, Miran Ali, vice president of BGMEA, insisted the new deal was not an extension of the original one.

Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina says there is no Bangladesh Accord and the RSC will remain independent of any foreign interference. “We welcome the initiative to extend the experience of Bangladesh in other countries,” he said. The International Accord is an agreement between brands and trade unions outside of Bangladesh covering a new organisation, called the International Accord. It’s not a Bangladesh Accord by any means whatsoever, he added.