INKOTA network eV
Berlin (ots)
The agreement on fire protection and building safety (International ACCORD) concluded in Bangladesh and Pakistan after the Rana Plaza accident still does not include tanneries and factories for shoes and leather goods. The working conditions in this industry are miserable, the obligations of the agreement could help. INKOTA calls for the Accord to be extended to include tanneries, shoe and leather factories.
“Piecework and no fixed contracts, unpaid overtime, unprotected exposure to toxic chemicals – workers in the leather and footwear industries work in appalling conditions. In contrast, the International ACCORD has significantly improved the lives of two million garment workers in Bangladesh. Factories are safer and workers can request safety improvements themselves through an effective and transparent grievance mechanism. It’s a scandal that these advances haven’t reached the leather and footwear industry yet!“, explained Berndt Hinzmann, consultant for business and human rights at INKOTA.
The International ACCORD was extended from Bangladesh to Pakistan in early 2023. Only 45 companies have already signed the Pakistan agreement, including brands such as C&A, s.Oliver and the Otto Group. Many members of the Textile Alliance are missing, as is the extension of the International Accord to companies’ leather and shoe supply chains.
“We welcome the fact that large German companies such as the Otto Group and Zalando have also signed the Pakistan ACCORD and thus want to ensure improvements for the workers in their supply chain. At the same time, this is an opportunity to lead by example and extend the agreement to the leather and footwear supply chain. Especially since both companies are aware of the gaps in human rights due diligence in this area, as an INKOTA company survey shows“, explained Berndt Hinzmann.
Ten years ago, the nine-storey Rana Plaza building collapsed in Savar near the Bangladeshi capital Dakha. 1138 people died and more than 2000 were injured. Years earlier, civil society organizations had pushed for an action plan to improve building security. After the disaster, the Bangladesh ACCORD came about, which has now been signed by 195 companies. In 2021, the expansion of the ACCORD to the “International ACCORD for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry” was decided, Pakistan is the first newly integrated country.
Press contact:
Berndt Hinzmann, [email protected], 0160 94 69 87 70
Johanna Weidauer, [email protected], 030 420 8202 33
Original content from: INKOTA-netzwerk eV, transmitted by news aktuell
