04.22.16

House Democrats Issue Joint Statement on 3rd Anniversary of Bangladesh Rana Plaza Collapse


WASHINGTON – Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI), Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), and Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Joe Crowley (D-NY), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Jackie Speier (D-CA) today released the following joint statement ahead of Sunday’s three-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in Bangladesh. The collapse killed 1,134 workers and injured approximately 2,500 more in the deadliest garment factory disaster in history. In their statement, the Members expressed concern that the Government of Bangladesh has not taken sufficient action under the Action Plan drafted by the United States after the suspension of Bangladesh’s trade benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program in June 2013.

 “On the anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, we remember the workers who died in this terrible and preventable disaster. Many of the workers who entered Rana Plaza on the day of the tragedy were reluctant to do so because of concerns for their safety, but were threatened with losing their jobs. Those workers had no one to represent them and, as a result, 1,134 workers lost their lives.

 “We are deeply dissatisfied with the lack of meaningful progress to improve labor rights in Bangladesh in accordance with the GSP Action Plan. The Bangladeshi labor code and export processing zone laws remain out of compliance with basic International Labor Organization standards, and the laws that are in place are not effectively enforced by the Government of Bangladesh. Far too often we read reports of workers being harassed or physically attacked because of their association with a union.

 “We remind the Government of Bangladesh that three years after Rana Plaza, we remain focused on the safety and conditions of work for those who make the garments widely purchased in our nation. It is time for the Government of Bangladesh to take immediate action to implement the actions in the GSP Action Plan.”

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Press Contact

Arika Trim (Scott), 202-226-0853

Kevin Parker (Levin), 202-226-3354

Courtney Gidner (Crowley), 202-225-3965

Nicole Dailey Jones (Kaptur), 202-225-4146

Ron Boehmer (DeLauro), 202-225-3661

Sam Avery (Schakowsky), 202-225-2111

James Pollack (Speier), 202-225-3531