Rana Plaza Never
Again: 12 years on
Activists visit Bangladesh High Commission in London to push for progress for garment worker rights
Solidarity groups today delivered a joint letter to the Bangladesh High Commission in London, calling for urgent action to address wages and assure trade union freedoms for workers making clothing in Bangladeshi factories.
The crowd that gathered outside the Bangladesh High Commission this Thursday chanted “Rana Plaza? Never again!” and held silence to remember the victims and survivors of the disaster that took place 12 years ago.
UK trade unions including UNISON, GMB, CWU, PCS and IWGB and civil society groups such as Labour Behind the Label and War on Want, Amnesty International UK and No Sweat handed in a letter calling for the Interim Government to urgently ensure wage reform, grow social security for RMG workers, and build support for trade union freedoms.
Action needed from the interim government
Twelve years on the Rana Plaza collapse remains current because the factors that caused it – poor building safety, desperation over low wages and the vital necessity to maintain an attendance bonus, union repression, lack of rights and more – were completely solvable and still very much an issue for workers today.
The crowd shared also statements of hope that the students and activists who had brought about the overthrow of the government last summer, were forging a new future for the country. Yet in the face of uncertain trade tariffs, climate fluctuations and volatile markets, there is much indecision over how quickly to move forward on vital changes to the workers’ situation.
Rana plaza survivors continue to struggle
Many families continue to struggle financially in the wake of losing income earners, and facing serious injuries. We must remember that despite intense campaigning to ensure brands made payments to the families, the injured workers and the families of those who died were only compensated for loss of basic income, and this amounted to a pittance. Among the 30 brands identified as sourcing from Rana Plaza, only a handful contributed meaningfully.
Ongoing health costs and the pain and suffering they experienced have not been compensated. We continued to call for compensation for employment injury (ILO Convention 121) to enter into law in Bangladesh, following a pilot that started in 2022, but also for brands to be held accountable for what happens in their supply chain through legislation in their home countries.
A joint letter, signed by over 450 supporters, trade unions and NGOs, was delivered to the Bangladesh High Commission.
Rana Plaza: an urgent need for legal justice
Twelve years on, there is still no closure for many of those affected by the collapse. Where is the justice? All of the court cases are still pending and the building owner Sohel Rana is the only defendant awaiting trial behind bars. It is vital that the court cases against those responsible, including the owner of the building and the factories housed in it, are brought to a conclusion, in line with international human rights conventions. Only an end to impunity of those responsible can bring full justice and set precedents that help prevent a next disaster.