Rep. Miller: Wal-Mart Needs to Stop Stonewalling on Bangladesh Safety Agreement
WASHINGTON – Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after Wal-Mart announced that it would conduct its own safety efforts in Bangladesh rather than signing onto an enforceable agreement that several major European retailers and fashion brands have recently agreed to.
“Wal-Mart needs to stop stonewalling and sign the binding agreement that a dozen other companies have signed. Wal-Mart's announcement is just an attempt to allow their company to continue a shameful race to the bottom that endangers the lives of factory workers in Bangladesh."
Several major European retailers and fashion brands have recently signed onto an enforceable fire and building safety agreement for their suppliers and contractors in Bangladesh where more than a thousand workers have died recently in garment factory tragedies. Miller has a long history of working against the use of sweatshops and has been urging major brands and retailers, including Wal-Mart to sign on this agreement.
Miller has called on several companies, including Wal-Mart, GAP, and The Children’s Place, to join the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement. He penned a front-page editorial on Women’s Wear Daily to urge the fashion industry to come together and improve conditions in Bangladesh. Miller and Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), the ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, have also urged the Obama administration to coordinate action to improve workers’ rights and working conditions in Bangladesh.
Next Article