More consumers act out of empathy after tragedies like the collapse of the Bangladesh garment factory building, forcing global companies to shape up their suppliers in other lands.
Less than three weeks after the April 24 collapse of a Bangladeshi garment factory that killed more than 1,100 workers, four of the world’s largest apparel companies have agreed on a plan to prevent a similar tragedy.
The companies, such as H&M and Primark, had been the target of an online petition by a human rights group that holds such transnational firms accountable for the irresponsible actions of local companies involved in making their goods. In this case, the Bangladeshi building owner who leased space to clothing subcontractors has been cited for neglect of the structure that collapsed.
Backing up the online campaign, however, is a global rise in the number of socially conscious consumers who are selective about the goods they buy, even if they are made thousands of miles away. An implied threat of a consumer boycott and the potential tarring of a corporate brand were real enough to force the apparel companies to insist on a higher level of workplace safety in Bangladesh.
The legally binding plan requires the retailers to pay for factory improvements and to monitor repairs. The government in Bangladesh also agreed to improve factory inspections, although similar promises have been broken in the past. The South Asia country is the world’s second largest apparel exporter after China and doesn’t want to price itself out of the global supply chain of manufacturers.