Tally Weijl signs accord on safety

FE Team | Published: May 17, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

FE Report
Tally Weijl, the Swiss clothing giant, has signed the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, putting further pressure on supermarkets Migros and Coop to prove their commitment to safety in the Bangladeshi garment sector.
The company signed the agreement, drafted by Swiss-based IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union, on the Accord's first anniversary. By doing so, it joined 172 brands in making commitments since May 15 last year, an IndustriAll statement said.
Swiss supermarkets Migros and Coop both source textile products from Bangladesh but have so far refused to sign the deal which would have committed them to independent safety inspections in factories used by Accord signatories.
Almost half of all Bangladesh factories for export market and two million workers are now covered by the Accord, and among its signatories are a host of European supermarkets including Carrefour, Tesco, Lidl and Aldi, it added.
Welcoming the Swiss fashion group Tally Weijl to the Bangladesh Accord, IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina said, "With so many international brands and retailers signed up to the Accord, it is shameful that Migros and Coop, two of Switzerland's biggest supermarkets, are yet to become signatories."
"Migros and Coop should follow Tally Weijl's example and show some commitment to a safe and sustainable garment industry in Bangladesh," he added.
UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings said, "Migros and Coop are mistaken if they think that the business-as-usual approach is enough to prevent the next Rana Plaza disaster. The Bangladesh Accord was made in Switzerland and Swiss companies should be among those leading the initiative to save lives." A year on from its first signature, the Bangladesh Accord has taken huge strides forward.
A factory inspection programme is in full swing. So far, more than 500 factories have been inspected. Each factory is examined for structural integrity and fire and electrical safety.
By October this year, the Accord aims to inspect 1,500 factories. It has employed a dedicated team of more than 100 technical experts and engineers who now conduct 45 inspections per week, the statement said.
"Independent, engineering-based inspections of many factories at this amount of time is unparalleled as is the public disclosure of the reports and corrective active plans of the initial inspections", Rob Wayss, Executive Director Bangladesh Operations said in a separate statement,
Hundreds more corrective action plans based on the completed Accord inspections are currently being finalised by factory owners, Accord brands, and worker representatives. These reports and corrective action plans will also be published on the Accord website in the next weeks, he added.