OECD ministers call on textile sector to compensate victims

On the initiative of Minister Ploumen, 7 ministers called on the international textiles industry to contribute to an international fund for compensation of the victims of last year’s factory collapse at Rana Plaza. This was done at an informal ministerial meeting during the Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct, held on June 26 & 27 at the OECD in Paris.

Issue a signal

Minister Ploumen visited Bangladesh last May and states that this initiative, which is supported by Ministers of Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, the Unnited Kingdom and The Netherlands, issues a signal to the international textiles industry. It states that 40 milion dollars should be raised by the fund for compensation for the victims of last year’s factory collapse at Rana Plaza. So far only 17 milion dollars has been raised. Ploumen says: 'The industry has not taken its responsibility for the victims. Many of them wil never be able to work again, due to their injuries. There's no excuse for the fact that many of these victims are left empty handed.' By supporting the initiative the 7 ministers dedicate themselves to starting a dialogue with their local fashion chains and insisting them to contribute to the fund.

Collective NCP statement

During the annual meeting in Paris on June 25th, the National Contact Points also published a statement on the developments in Bangladesh since the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in 2013. The NCPs call on all actors in Bangladesh to fulfill their commitments they have undertaken the past year. They also encourage involved companies to provide compensation to the victims through means such as the Rana Plaza Trust Fund.

The NCPs also note that the situation in Bangladesh is not unique. To explore how the OECD can strengthen and complement initiatives which are already underway to achieve a more responsible supply chain, a joint OECD-ILO Round Table will be organized at the end of September 2014.