Daily Times

On April 24, 2013, a clothing factory complex near Bangladesh’s capital collapsed, killing at least 1,138 workers. The disaster at Rana Plaza outside Dhaka was one of the world’s worst industrial tragedies and highlighted the failure of many top Western fashion brands to protect workers in the poorer countries where their goods are made. It sparked outrage and calls for change, putting pressure on multinational companies to confront the human cost of their business models and abysmal working conditions. Ten years later, global fashion companies say they have made progress — but rights groups are still calling for robust legal measures to hold them accountable. The European Union is working on legislation that would target human and social rights abuses, as well as environmental damage by European companies in their production chain. The bloc’s plans are inspired by a pioneering French law, explained Catherine Dauriac, president of Fashion Revolution France, part of an international collective founded after the disaster. She said the catastrophe was the catalyst for the 2017 law on the corporate duty of care, which compels companies to avoid grave harm to human rights, health, safety and the environment.