Help injured, families fast
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged international garment retailers to adequately compensate the victims of Rana Plaza collapse.
In a report to mark the first anniversary of the deadliest garment factory disaster in the world history, the New York-based rights organisation has said those who were injured and the families of those who were killed in the tragedy urgently need assistance.
“One year after Rana Plaza collapsed, far too many victims and their families are at serious risk of destitution,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of HRW.
“International garment brands should be helping the injured and the dependents of dead workers who manufactured their clothes,” Robertson said in the report published on the HRW website yesterday.
At least 1,135 people died and about 2,500 were rescued after the building collapsed on April 24 last year.
The HRW recently spoke to 44 survivors and relatives of the deceased, and all of them said that they continue to suffer from life-changing injuries, psychological trauma, and a loss of income.
They said that they all had received some financial support, but in most instances this was inadequate, the report said.
International companies that sourced readymade garment products from five factories operating in the building are not contributing enough to the financial trust fund for supporting the victims of the tragedy, the HRW observed.
The Rana Plaza Trust Fund targets to accumulate $40 million to compensate the victims. However, only $15 million has been raised so far.
Of the $15 million, a single firm, Primark, has donated $8 million, the HRW said quoting the fund's website. Some companies that were not doing business with the factories in Rana Plaza have also contributed to the fund.
In contrast, 15 brands, whose clothing and brand labels were found in the rubble of the factory by journalists and labour activists, have not paid into the fund.
According to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, companies have a responsibility “to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts that are directly linked to their operations,” and to take remedial action should abuses occur.
According to the report, the HRW has written to the 15 companies, asking them to explain why they haven't contributed to the fund yet. The companies include: Adler Modemärkte (Germany), Ascena Retail (USA), Auchan (France), Benetton (Italy), Carrefour (France), The Cato Corporation (USA), Grabalok/Store Twenty One (UK), Güldenpfennig (Germany), JC Penney (USA), Kids for Fashion (Germany), Matalan (UK), NKD Deutschland GmbH (Germany), PWT (Texman) (Denmark), and Yes Zee ESSENZA (Italy). Benetton, however, later explained that it preferred a project run by an NGO.
“These brands should help mitigate the damage by assisting with the full restitution of those who were injured or lost their lives in the collapse," Robertson said.
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