Bangladesh fire and building safety Accord published as 25 retailers sign up

The signatories will be developing and agreeing the implementation plan for the Accord, which is built on the National Action Plan on Fire Safety,  over the next 45 days.

The Accord has been developed since the collapse of the Rana Plaza building on April 24, which housed five factories which supplied western retailers including Primark, Bonmarche and Canadian firm Joe Fresh.

Unions IndustriALL and the UNI Global Union are expecting further commitments from retailers today.

IndustriALL general secretary Jyrki Raina said: “We recognise the commitment that these companies are making towards ending the cycle of factory disasters in Bangladesh. We call on all other global brands sourcing from Bangladesh to join us in making sure that every garment worker in Bangladesh can work in safety.”

• Click to read the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.