Accord condemns Liberty Fashion's delay in repairing factory building

FE Report The Accord on Fire and Building Safety, which was set up to ensure real and sustainable improvement in apparel sector, has condemned dillydally by Liberty Fashion Wears Ltd in repairing its factory building. The Bangladesh Accord Foundation in a statement said Monday that the Tesco, Debenhams, Primark and Li & Fung reacted following a structural inspection of the factory of Liberty Fashion Wears Ltd where the inspectors found that its Unit 2 (the main sewing unit) was in danger of collapse and workers were in grave danger." The factory agreed to close unit 2 on June 09 last and brands mentioned along with K-Mart (Australia), Target (Australia) and Carrefour gave substantial financial support to Liberty Fashion Wears Ltd to ensure that workers were paid for July and Eid bonuses. By September 20 last work on Unit 2 was not undertaken suggesting that the company is unwilling to take any steps or present any plan to repair the building, despite several months of encouragement. "The Accord fully supports its members in their dealings with the factory and believes that they have acted responsibly throughout this case, prioritising the safety of workers and offering financial and expert support to factory management to help them address the issues," the statement said. "It is regrettable that factory management has not been willing to address the issues they face despite this support. We believe it would be dangerous to allow workers to return to work in unit 2," the statement added. The Accord will be working with the brands involved, relevant authorities including the BGMEA and local trade unions to ensure the best possible outcome for the workers in the factory, including the payment of all outstanding wages, overtime allowances, benefits and severance pay, the statement said. It said as part of the programme, the Accord is inspecting factories covered by it in order to identify safety and fire hazards that pose immediate risks to workers.