The first anniversary of the worst tragedy in the clothing industry will take place on April 24, marking a year since more than 1,200 people died in the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh.

The first anniversary of the worst tragedy in the clothing industry will take place on April 24, marking a year since more than 1,200 people died in the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh.

The tragedy shone a bright, inescapable light on the unethical practices in the industry, where millions of garment workers go to work in sweatshops, often jeopardising their lives on a daily basis.

At the time, nobody wanted to take responsibility. Whose fault was it? The factory owners? The retailers? Consumers?

But thanks to the good efforts – and pressure – from activist groups, unions and consumers, the horrendous disaster has forced the fashion industry into making steps towards change.

More than 150 companies from 20 countries have signed the legally-binding Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, committing to independent safety inspections at factories and public reporting of the results. The Accord is a great step in improving factory conditions for workers  - it means that if safety issues are found, these companies are committed to repairing them and providing sufficient funds and paying workers while these are being carried out.

All this focus on sweatshops should also lead to a more transparent supply chain. One of the illuminating points this tragedy revealed was that many fashion retailers don’t have full control over their own supply chain – many didn’t know exactly where all their goods were being made, often leaving the onus on suppliers who source from the factories.

This begs the question: how hard is it for retailers to run an ethical, sustainable and transparent business? Why can’t retailers, many raking in millions of profits a year, know where exactly their clothes are being produced and guarantee, and want to know, that the factories are safe enough for workers?

Perhaps they should take heed from Rapanui, an eco-fashion brand from the Isle of Wight, which features a traceability map on its website allowing consumers to view their entire supply chain from the shipping route from Tuticorin to Felixstowe to where the bails are spun into jersey in Coimbatore, India. It’s interesting and demonstrates the brand’s dedication to being an open and transparent retailer.

Rapanui says on its website collating information on its supply chain was relatively straightforward.

It explains: “It took days to gather all the information about our supply chain needed to get a handle on where our clothing comes from, and how it is made. And, to be honest, traceability is as simple as that. Sure bigger brands have more complex supply chains and have more work to do - but they also have more resources. We don’t see any reason why all clothing brands could not do exactly what we have done: improve traceability on products we’ve made in the past, that exist in the present and those that we are designing for the market of tomorrow.”

Supply chains might be complex beasts but fashion retailers should – and need – to have a handle on them. No garment worker should ever have to risk their lives for the sake of a t-shirt.

Sweatshops need to be a thing of the past and, if retailers show dedication to the Accord, a disaster like Rana Plaza should never ever happen again.

  • Suzanne Bearne is a freelance journalist specialising in fashion, retail and travel. She can be found tweeting at @sbearne

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