Remember the dead 
 Fight for the living 

Thirteen years ago, on 24 April 2013, the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed, killing at least 1138 people and injuring more than 2,000. It was an entirely preventable disaster and one foreseen by workers. This event exposed the human cost of a global fashion industry built on exploitation and continues to hold significance across the world.

Today, we remember every worker who lost their life and stand with the survivors and families still living with the consequences and join their call for justice. Our remembrance drives action. The legacy of Rana Plaza is a demand for change.

The work is not done

In the wake of the disaster, global campaign pressure forced brands to sign the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry which is a legally binding agreement, signed between unions and brands, that has made factories safer for millions.

It works but it is not complete. Many factories in Bangladesh still require critical safety upgrades and huge parts of the industry, such as textile mills and dyeing facilities, remain outside its scope. At a time when the future of the Accord’s Bangladesh programme is being decided, brands must strengthen, not weaken, their commitments by expanding coverage and ensuring independent oversight.

When companies refuse to sign or renew the Accord, they put workers at risk. Companies like Hugo Boss and Polish retailer LPP have refused to renew their commitment to the safety programme the Accord runs in Pakistan. Publicly available inspection reports demonstrate life-threatening risks inside Hugo Boss and LPP Pakistan suppliers, but both brands refuse to prevent, mitigate and remedy them through this trusted and proven programme. The lesson of Rana Plaza is clear: voluntary measures are not enough and binding agreements save lives and Labour Behind the Label will continue to act to pressure brands like Hugo Boss to resign.

Climate Change is a Safety Crisis

Workplace safety is now being reshaped by the climate crisis. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and unsafe buildings are creating new and intensified risks for garment workers. Heat stress, in particular, is becoming a daily reality in factories without adequate protections.

“I’ve witnessed the direct impact of heat stress on young women workers and what it does to their bodies and their health. Every day they have to work without sufficient breaks or even drinking water” said Kalpona Akter from Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity

The Accord must evolve to meet this challenge, by explicitly addressing climate-related risks and ensuring factories are safe in a warming world. Without this, the conditions that led to Rana Plaza will persist in new forms.

Justice for Survivors and Families

On this day, we stand with survivors of Rana Plaza and the families of victims, who continue to live with life-changing injuries, trauma, and lost livelihoods. Families lost loved ones and vital sources of income overnight. Compensation has never fully reflected these long-term impacts. There is an urgent need for continued and expanded support, covering payments for pain and suffering. We echo calls from Bangladesh trade unions for the shameless and irresponsible buyers who did not provide any compensation to the families and injured survivors, to pay. Justice must be ongoing, not a one-off response.

From Memory to Action

Finally, although we must never forget those who died, remembrance alone is not enough. We continue to commit to act to protect the living people who make our clothes day in and day out. Trade unions and labour rights groups are working on the front line of climate risks, and pushing for justice. We stand with them in solidarity and invite you to do the same. Rana Plaza must never happen again.