Dear Kevin,
Five years ago, the world experienced the worst disaster in the history of manufacturing. Rana Plaza was not the first garment factory collapse in Bangladesh, but the almost incomprehensible scale of the tragedy finally catalyzed real change in the industry in a way that the hundreds of factory fires that preceded it could not. Since 2013, the legally-binding Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh has made factories safer for 2.5 million garment workers – primarily women – across 1,600 factories by adding fire doors, creating safe exit stairwells, and training workers to identify and report on safety issues before they cause catastrophe.
This change could not have happened if not for the past five years of fierce organizing by worker leaders in Bangladesh, and by unions, activists, students and consumers around the world acting in solidarity with them. The original five-year Accord expires next month, but there is more work to be done to make sure the progress towards safer factories is maintained. Yet Abercrombie and Fitch has still not signed the new three-year agreement, even though 154 other global brands like American Eagle Outfitters, H&M, and Zara (Inditex) have already signed.
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This past weekend, people took to the streets in twenty cities, calling on Abercrombie & Fitch to stay in the Accord. Their refusal to stay in this critical safety program is putting workers in danger. If you haven’t already, you can send a letter to the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch here.
In solidarity,
Sarah Newell
Campaigns Associate
Eslkevin's Blog 