 Read More In Our New Report |
Dear John,
Seven years ago today, Ali Enterprises burned to the ground in Karachi, Pakistan, killing over 250 workers. This was the deadliest factory fire in the history of the global garment industry.
Today, textile and garment factories in Pakistan remain just as unsafe as they were seven years ago.
Although multiple initiatives aimed at addressing workplace safety have been initiated in Pakistan since then, they lack the necessary elements that must be in place to ensure safety. All of these initiatives have limited transparency and none of them are enforceable. Most importantly, none of them have been developed with the participation of unions or other labor rights groups in Pakistan. Worker representation is missing not only in their design, but also in their implementation and governance. Pakistani trade unions and labor rights groups have now put forward their own recommendations and suggestions for a credible safety initiative that includes a meaningful role for workers and their organizations.
Our new report, co-authored with the Clean Clothes Campaign, Labour Education Foundation, National Trade Union Federation, and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, reviews current risks and violations in Pakistan’s textile and garment factories and assesses the rigor and performance of current safety related initiatives in the industry.
The report recommends that brands and retailers sourcing clothing and textiles from Pakistan heed calls from Pakistan’s labor movement to support the formation of a legally-binding agreement between apparel brands and local and global unions and labor rights groups to make workplaces safe. Such an agreement must draw upon lessons from the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, which has effectively grounded the program in transparency, enforcement, commercial obligations, and worker participation. All relevant stakeholders need to come together to develop an agreement to ensure a Pakistan Accord has the necessary support and engagement, and can work collaboratively with employers and authorities in Pakistan, as well as with civil society and other relevant agencies.
Most importantly, it is essential for the safety of workers that local unions and other local workers’ rights organisations be involved in the conceptualization, design, governance, and implementation of any initiatives aimed at improving occupational health and safety in the country.
Thank you to everyone who has supported ILRF’s apparel campaigns and continues to support our ongoing ability to advocate for Pakistan’s apparel workers.
In solidarity,
Liana Foxvog
Director of Campaigns
This email was sent by the International Labor Rights Forum.
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