On the eve of the third anniversary of Tazreen fire incident which occurred on November 24, 2012, claiming lives of 112 garment workers besides seriously injuring 300 more, IndustriALL Global Union lambasted Walmart for allegedly failing to pay compensation to the victims of Bangladesh’s RMG sector while calling upon other retailers and brands who sourced from the Ashulia-based garment manufacturing factory to clear funds in this regard. IndustriALL Global Union represents more than 50 million working people in more than 140 countries, working across the supply chains in mining, energy and manufacturing sectors.
“The anniversary will be observed at a time when Walmart, the biggest customer of Tazreen, is expecting massive sales on the occasion of the Thanksgiving Day. Walmart still refuses to pay compensation to the victims’ families and the injured,” IndustriALL underlined in a statement released recently.
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In an effort to provide some succour to garment workers of Bangladesh RMG sector affected by the Tazreen incident and brokered by the ILO, IndustriALL along with rights group Clean Clothes Campaign, Dutch retailer C&A and the C&A Foundation entered an agreement to set up a trust – Tazreen Claims Administration Trust, to compensate the garment workers towards their loss of livelihood and medical treatment, under which retailers and brands with earnings above US $ 1 million were asked to pay minimum of US $ 100,000. However, according to the IndustriALL communiqué, German retailer KiK, Li & Fung and C&A are the only companies that have so far come forth to contribute towards it. Some others who sourced from Tazreen Fashions include Scottish brand Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Piazza Italia, Disney, Sears, Dickies, Delta Apparel, Spanish departmental store El Corte Inglés, and Sean John.
Dwelling on the assistance provided by the trust, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Monika Kemperle underlined that ‘it provides real hope to the victims of the Tazreen fire incident who can expect to start receiving payments in the coming months’.
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“While we thank the brands that have already paid, we are completely dismayed that Tazreen’s biggest customer, Walmart, won’t fork out [even] after three long years,” she said adding, “Once again, Walmart is ignoring its responsibilities and failing the victims.”
To advice the trust which aims at providing support to the Bangladesh garment workers who were affected by the Tazreen fire incident, a steering committee namely Tazreen steering committee comprising Bangladeshi groups that work directly with the affected families has also been formed. “Thanks to the regular support of the ILO, the Government of Bangladesh and the signatory organisations, we are happy to get the Tazreen Claims Administration Trust up and running,” said Executive Commissioner of the Tazreen Claims Administration Mojtaba Kazazi, adding, “After all the hardship and trauma the victims of Bangladesh garment sector and their families have been through, they will finally be able to receive their due payments.”
