British retailers must assume responsibility: UK Minister

05 Jun '13

2 min read

UK International Development Minister Alan Duncan, who is currently on a three-day visit to Bangladesh, has asked British clothing retailers to “assume responsibility” for the manner in which their garments are made.

The Minister said the Rana Plaza factory collapse, along with factory fires, should be treated as a wake-up call, and safety and standards must be made to catch up with the rapid growth of the readymade garment sector in Bangladesh.

He said the growth of the apparel sector in Bangladesh is a huge success story as the industry has been built from a scratch over the last 30 years. He added that urgent action needs to be taken for long-term development of the sector.

He urged British high street apparel brands to assume responsibility for their products, from the sewing machine to the store, and said the UK Government is willing to make it happen.

After paying a visit to those injured in the April Rana Plaza building collapse, the Minister announced that the UK will donate £18 million to help train garment workers in Bangladesh.

The Rana Plaza housed five garment factories and its collapse resulted in the death of over 1,100 people and injuring about 2,500 others, which sparked a global outrage on the safety and working conditions in Bangladesh apparel factories.

Mr. Duncan said the existing UK aid will be used for enabling garment units to comply with building standards. He said UK will also send a team of experts to review Bangladesh’s building inspection system.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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