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2.3 million USD settlement reached in case concerning textile factory safety in Bangladesh

By Vivian Hendriksz

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London - Unions representing Bangladeshi textile workers have achieved a milestone settlement of 2.3 million US dollars in a case with a multinational apparel brand after it was accused of delaying rectifying life-threatening factory conditions.

The apparel company, which cannot be named according to the terms of the settlement, agreed to pay 2 million US dollars to repair issues at more than 150 garment factories following the introduction of the Bangladesh Accord for Fire and Building Safety, reported The Guardian. The legally binding accord was established following the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, during which 1,135 factory workers were killed.

An additional 300,000 US dollars is set to be paid to the two unions which brought the case forward - IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union, to help fund their joint worker support fund. The settlement was seen as "groundbreaking" by Christy Hoffman, UNI Global Union’s deputy secretary-general. "This proves the validity of the arbitration process. It’s a turning point for business and human rights," said Hoffman.

Bangladesh
Rana Plaza