www.bangladeshaccord.org    

24  October  2013  

FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  

Accord  statement  upon  the  six-­‐month  anniversary  of  the  Rana  Plaza  disaster    Upon  the  six-­‐month  anniversary  of  the  building  collapse  in  Dhaka  that  resulted  in  the  deaths  of  1,133  people,  Andy  York,  member  of  the  Steering  Committee  of  the  Accord  for  Fire  and  Building  Safety  in  Bangladesh  today  commented  on  behalf  of  the  signatories  of  the  Accord.  Speaking  from  Dhaka,  he  said:    "Six  months  since  tragedy  struck  at  the  heart  of  Dhaka's  garment  manufacturing  community,  taking  the  lives  of  1,133  innocent,  hardworking  people,  the  tragedy  is  still  all  too  fresh  in  the  memories  of  the  victims'  friends  and  families.  The  signatories  to  the  Accord  for  Fire  and  Building  Safety  in  Bangladesh  send  our  thoughts  and  sympathies  to  them  all.”    Also  speaking  from  Dhaka,  Jenny  Holdcroft  from  IndustriALL  Global  Union  added:        "Sadly,  we  can’t  turn  back  the  clock,  but  we  can  at  least  take  action  now,  and  that  is  what  the  Accord  is  doing,  by  focusing  on  the  future.  The  Accord  commits  its  signatories  -­‐  now  numbering  more  than  100  -­‐  to  the  goal  of  a  safe  and  sustainable  Bangladeshi  ready-­‐made  garment  industry,  in  which  no  worker  needs  to  fear  fires,  building  collapses  or  other  accidents  that  could  be  prevented  with  reasonable  health  and  safety  measures.  Our  goal  will  require  a  deep  commitment  from  all  stakeholders  so  that  the  tragic  events  of  the  past  are  substituted  with  positive  examples  of  transformative  change  in  the  future.”    

ENDS  

For  further  information,  please  email  media@bangladeshaccord.com  or  call  Tony  Sophoclides  on  07887  935335  or  Richard  Olszewski  on  07725  009722      

Notes  to  editors    

-­‐ The  Accord   for  Fire  and  Building  Safety   in  Bangladesh  was  signed  on  13  May  2013,   in  response  to  the  Rana  Plaza  factory  building  collapse  on  24  April  2013.    

-­‐ The   Accord   is   a   legally   binding   agreement   between   103   signatories   including  international   unions   IndustriALL   and   UNI   Global,   Bangladesh   trade   unions,   and  international  brands  and  retailers  (companies)  covering  1,557  garment  factories.  A  full  list  of  these  can  be  found  here:  http://www.bangladeshaccord.org/signatories/    

-­‐ The  Accord’s  website  address  is  www.bangladeshaccord.org  -­‐ The  Accord’s  Twitter  feed  is  @bangaccord