Campaigns

Another Fire in Bangladesh — Seven Women Killed at Smart Fashion

"We panicked and were trying to race down from the factory,
but were trapped since the gate was locked."

At 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, 2013, a fire broke out at the Smart Fashion garment factory in Mohammadpur in the western part of Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Seven women garment workers were crushed to death as workers raced to escape the fire. Three of the women killed were just teenagers.

At the time of the fire, Smart Fashion workers were sewing clothing “Bershka” “Lefties” labels (owned by the Spanish Inditex Group) “Sol’s” (Solo Invest, France) and Paris-based “Fox & Scott."

Campaign Alerts »

Institute calls for wage increase in Bangladesh

Today, every major newspaper across Bangladesh is dominated by the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights' call for increased wages for Bangladeshi workers and respect internationally recognized labor rights.

Kernaghan Op-ed in WWD

February 5, 2013

The Institute's Director, Charles Kernaghan, contributed to the "Think Tank" column in Women’s Wear Daily, a leading newspaper in the fashion industry, regarding factory safety and labor rights.

Child Workers, Protests, Arrests ─ Smart Fashion/Bangladesh Update

January 30, 2013

Workers and rights groups estimate that at least 50 child workers between the ages of 10 and 15 worked at the Smart Fashion sweatshop. The National Alliance for Protection of Garment Workers and Industries in Bangladesh demands that the international buyers of garments take responsibility. Two Smart Fashion executives have been arrested by the police.

They Make Our Clothing

January 29, 2013

The human face of tragedy. Photos of young women and girls killed and injured in the fire at Smart Fashion in Bangladesh—and those who survived.

Survivors Describe the Tragedy — Smart Fashion Factory Fire Update and Photos

January 28, 2013

Two eyewitnesses described what happened when the fire broke out: "One of the gates was locked when the fire broke out. We panicked and were trying to race down from the factory, but were trapped since the gate was locked." Among those who were killed, three were teenaged girls from 15 to 17 years old. These garment workers typically work at the Smart Fashion factory from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Another Fire in Bangladesh: Seven Women Killed at Smart Fashion, Saturday Jan 26

January 26, 2013

At 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, 2013, a fire broke out at the Smart Fashion garment factory in Mohammadpur in the western part of Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Until now, we know that seven women garment workers were crushed to death as workers raced to escape the fire. Two of the women killed were just teenagers.

Campaign Press »

[Bloomberg Businessweek] Will Wal-Mart Move Manufacturing Out of Bangladesh?

“Bangladesh needs to make a giant step forward in terms of enforceable labor rights," says Charles Kernaghan, “But when it comes to making the factories safer, this has to be up to the big retailers. It’s at least 50 percent their responsibility.”

[Women's Wear Daily] Wal-Mart Said Considering Bangladesh Pullback

"From the labor rights camp, Charles Kernaghan, director of The Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights, said Wal-Mart has the financial muscle to make Bangladesh clean up its act in the manufacturing arena — if it wants to."

[Vogue] Why “We Are Racing Backward” In Ending Sweatshops

February 5, 2013

"Charles Kernaghan, says that 'we are racing backward' in protecting the rights of today's factory garment workers...'Duty-free access should be reserved to reward factories that are serious about respecting local and international labour rights,'"

[Women's Wear Daily] Think Tank: Sweatshop Garments Drag All of Us Down

February 5, 2013

"If labels can be protected by laws backed up by sanctions, why is it that the human being making these garments cannot have similar legal protections?" The Institute's Director, Charles Kernaghan, contributed to the "Think Tank" column in Women’s Wear Daily, a leading newspaper in fashion industry.

[Women's Wear Daily] Bangladesh Factory Execs Detained for Questioning

January 30, 2013

"'There are apparently a lot of these sweatshops and subcontracting factories operating in Bangladesh and receiving work from more established factories, which was the case here,' said Barbara Briggs, assistant director at the Pittsburgh-based Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights. 'The question now is, are the labels whose production were there going to take any responsibility?'"

[Bloomberg] Bangladesh Overwhelmed in Monitoring of Factories, Minister Says

January 29, 2013

An official in Bangladesh said the Government of Bangladesh lacks staff and resources to oversee its rapidly growing garment industry.

[Women's Wear Daily] More Makers Linked to Bangladesh Factory Fire

January 29, 2013

“There are apparently a lot of these sweatshops and subcontracting factories operating in Bangladesh and receiving work from more established factories, which was the case here,” said Barbara Briggs, assistant director at the Pittsburgh-based Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights. “The question now is are the labels whose production were there going to take any responsibility?”

[Women's Wear Daily] New Bangladesh Blaze Raises Call for Change

January 29, 2013

“The EU has to review their duty-free policies,” Kernaghan said. “They should be limited to factories that obey the law. The EU can talk all they want about upholding freedom of association and workers’ rights. But they should send a significant delegation to Bangladesh to inform the government that in order to keep up this collaboration, workers need to have the basic internationally recognized labor standards. All they have done is talk for the last 20 years and nothing has changed.” - Charles Kernaghan

[Bloomberg] Inditex Suspends Links With Providers After Bangladesh Blaze

January 28, 2013

After the fatal factory fire, one of Smart Fashion's buyers, Inditex, said it stopped doing business with a Spanish supplier Wonnover and its Bangladeshi sub-contractor Centex and has sent investigators to Smart Fashion factory.

[Vogue] Bangladesh Clothing Factory Fire Causes Seven Fatalities

January 28, 2013

"The Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights reports that the workers were crushed as they tried to escape the burning floor, which is located on the second storey of the building."

[Women's Wear Daily] Seven Die in Fire at Bangladesh Factory

January 28, 2013

''It is long overdue that Europe’s major garment labels stand up to guarantee that Bangladesh’s nearly four million garment workers finally have the right to organize an independent union and to bargain collectively,' the Institute said."

[ABC] Another Factory Fire Kills More Garment Workers

January 27, 2013

"The Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights reported that the seven women who died were crushed to death as they raced to escape the fire. Two of the women killed were just teenagers, aged 15 and 16, according to the group...Barbara Briggs, assistant director of the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights, said her group also had photographs showing that at the time of the blaze, winter jackets were being sewn for the Inditex line called 'Lefties,' a European label."

[Reuters] Labor rights groups seek action after Bangladesh factory blaze

January 27, 2013

"International labor rights groups called on Sunday for global clothing retailers to ensure adequate safety measures for garment workers in Bangladesh after a blaze killed seven employees at a small factory."

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