Last month in Bangladesh over 1,200 people died after several factories collapsed. Now, labor advocates are stepping up the pressure on the Obama administration to end the special trade status in Bangladesh and convey disapproval of its working conditions.
Bangladesh’s garment sector represents roughly $19 billion in annual revenue and employs nearly four million workers, most of them women.
Jenny Holdcroft is the policy director of IndustriALL, the Geneva-based global union federation working with Bangladeshi garment workers to get retailers to sign an accord on fire and building safety.
So far, forty retailers – mostly European – have signed, but big U.S. companies like Walmart and Gap have declined to take part.
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.