Primark to pay $12m in aid to Rana Plaza factory collapse victims

Primark will make a $9m payment to the 580 workers, or their dependents, of its supplier New Wave Bottoms, who died or were injured when the factory collapsed last year.

As part of the aid payments, it will donate a further $1m to workers who were not involved in its own supply chain bringing its total payment to non-Primark workers to $3m.

This money will be paid to the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund, chaired by the International Labour Organisation, for distribution.

Following the building collapse, which left over 1,000 people dead last April, Primark vowed to meet its responsibilities and has worked with local partners in Bangladesh over the past 11 months to determine a “sustainable approach” to compensation.

A Primark spokesman said: “Within a week of the collapse, Primark committed to paying long-term compensation to the workers of Primark supplier, New Wave Bottoms, as quickly as possible.

“With the first anniversary of Rana Plaza fast approaching, we are determined to meet this responsibility to workers in our supply chain. We are therefore pleased to be in a position to now press ahead with payments.

“We support the International Labour Organisation in urging other retailers sourcing from Rana Plaza to donate to the Trust Fund, so that it can pay out in full to the remaining victims.”