Best and Less faces criticism for not signing critical safety accord
- Replies 5
Best and Less, a prominent Australian discount retailer, has recently come under intense scrutiny for its decision not to sign an international safety accord.
This decision has sparked outrage from ActionAid Australia, a women's rights organisation, which has been vocal in its criticism of the retailer's stance.
The accord in question was established in response to the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, which marked its 10th anniversary last year.
The tragedy saw the collapse of a garment factory, resulting in the loss of over 1,100 lives, many of whom were female workers.
The accord's primary goal is to elevate safety standards for workers in the region's garment industry, ensuring tragedies like Rana Plaza never happen again.
ActionAid Australia has expressed deep disappointment in Best and Less, which had previously indicated a willingness to sign the accord but has since reversed its position.
Farah Kabir, ActionAid Bangladesh's Country Director, said: ‘I’ve seen first-hand how basic safety measures like smoke alarms and making sure fire exits are clear in factories save the lives of women garment workers making clothes that Australians wear.’
‘If all Australian clothing retailers signed up to the accord, it would support a system that secures the safety of all garment workers in factories in Bangladesh.’
‘This would create a level playing field, and no retailer would get an advantage by sourcing cheaper garments from unsafe factories,’ she continued.
The accord is not merely a symbolic gesture; it is a legally binding agreement between global fashion brands and trade unions designed to foster improvements in workplace health and safety within the textile industry.
According to ActionAid, Best and Less continues to source products from factories in Bangladesh that fall short of the accord's standards.
Since the Rana Plaza collapse, safety inspectors associated with the accord have conducted close to 56,000 inspections in over 2,400 garment factories, identifying a staggering 170,000 health and safety issues.
‘Best and Less needs to do the right thing and sign the accord for workers so Australian shoppers can be assured the clothes they are buying aren’t putting workers’ lives at risk,’ Kabir added.
The decision by Best and Less not to sign the accord has led to accusations of 'freeloading' by Michelle Higelin, ActionAid Australia's Executive Director.
‘Other Australian brands like Big W, Cotton On, and Kmart use the same factories as Best and Less, and they are paying for safety improvements as part of their accord obligations,’ she stated.
‘Effectively, by failing to sign the accord, Best and Less are benefiting from these safety repairs and freeriding off their competitors.’
In response to the backlash, a spokeswoman for Best and Less has stated that the company takes ethical sourcing ‘very seriously’ and that its practices are in line with the objectives of the accord.
‘While the accord’s jurisdiction is levelled at Bangladesh and Pakistan, our measures apply across all our suppliers no matter their location,’ she said.
‘Every partner factory is fully audited by a globally recognised third party across several parameters, including environmental, social, ethical and safety.’
‘Our 24-hour worker hotline, which is also operated by a third party, enables factory staff to personally share feedback on conditions of their working experience.’
She added: ‘We maintain a stringent ethical sourcing code, release an annual modern slavery report and work collaboratively with our trusted suppliers, which include regular site visits to establish a fair pricing model that also maintains an offering our customers depend on.’
The retailer claimed that they rely on audit organisations used by major international companies like Walmart and Disney. They also mentioned that their garments were produced mainly in China, followed by Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Cambodia.
The company’s corporate social responsibility statement read: ‘We ban the use of cotton from Uzbekistan and working with factories in the (Chinese) province of Xinjiang as they don’t comply with our code in human rights.’
You can learn more about the Rana Plaza disaster here:
Source: BBC News/YouTube
Members, we encourage you to weigh in on this critical issue. Do decisions like the one made by Best and Less affect your shopping choices? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This decision has sparked outrage from ActionAid Australia, a women's rights organisation, which has been vocal in its criticism of the retailer's stance.
The accord in question was established in response to the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, which marked its 10th anniversary last year.
The tragedy saw the collapse of a garment factory, resulting in the loss of over 1,100 lives, many of whom were female workers.
ActionAid Australia slammed Best and Less for not signing the international safety accord. Image source: Unsplash
The accord's primary goal is to elevate safety standards for workers in the region's garment industry, ensuring tragedies like Rana Plaza never happen again.
ActionAid Australia has expressed deep disappointment in Best and Less, which had previously indicated a willingness to sign the accord but has since reversed its position.
Farah Kabir, ActionAid Bangladesh's Country Director, said: ‘I’ve seen first-hand how basic safety measures like smoke alarms and making sure fire exits are clear in factories save the lives of women garment workers making clothes that Australians wear.’
‘If all Australian clothing retailers signed up to the accord, it would support a system that secures the safety of all garment workers in factories in Bangladesh.’
‘This would create a level playing field, and no retailer would get an advantage by sourcing cheaper garments from unsafe factories,’ she continued.
The accord is not merely a symbolic gesture; it is a legally binding agreement between global fashion brands and trade unions designed to foster improvements in workplace health and safety within the textile industry.
According to ActionAid, Best and Less continues to source products from factories in Bangladesh that fall short of the accord's standards.
Since the Rana Plaza collapse, safety inspectors associated with the accord have conducted close to 56,000 inspections in over 2,400 garment factories, identifying a staggering 170,000 health and safety issues.
‘Best and Less needs to do the right thing and sign the accord for workers so Australian shoppers can be assured the clothes they are buying aren’t putting workers’ lives at risk,’ Kabir added.
The decision by Best and Less not to sign the accord has led to accusations of 'freeloading' by Michelle Higelin, ActionAid Australia's Executive Director.
‘Other Australian brands like Big W, Cotton On, and Kmart use the same factories as Best and Less, and they are paying for safety improvements as part of their accord obligations,’ she stated.
‘Effectively, by failing to sign the accord, Best and Less are benefiting from these safety repairs and freeriding off their competitors.’
In response to the backlash, a spokeswoman for Best and Less has stated that the company takes ethical sourcing ‘very seriously’ and that its practices are in line with the objectives of the accord.
‘While the accord’s jurisdiction is levelled at Bangladesh and Pakistan, our measures apply across all our suppliers no matter their location,’ she said.
‘Every partner factory is fully audited by a globally recognised third party across several parameters, including environmental, social, ethical and safety.’
‘Our 24-hour worker hotline, which is also operated by a third party, enables factory staff to personally share feedback on conditions of their working experience.’
She added: ‘We maintain a stringent ethical sourcing code, release an annual modern slavery report and work collaboratively with our trusted suppliers, which include regular site visits to establish a fair pricing model that also maintains an offering our customers depend on.’
The retailer claimed that they rely on audit organisations used by major international companies like Walmart and Disney. They also mentioned that their garments were produced mainly in China, followed by Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Cambodia.
The company’s corporate social responsibility statement read: ‘We ban the use of cotton from Uzbekistan and working with factories in the (Chinese) province of Xinjiang as they don’t comply with our code in human rights.’
You can learn more about the Rana Plaza disaster here:
Source: BBC News/YouTube
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