Forgotten in the rubble of Rana Plaza is a horrific that took place at Tazreen Fashions Ltd in Bangladesh. The fire killed 112 human beings whose families have been trying to get a bit of compensation for the loss of their loves ones. And some of that is happening…of course, not with the help of Wal-Mart.
Bangladesh’s high court on Sunday ordered the government to pay adequate compensation to the families of 19-year-old Hena Begum and 15 other workers whose families say they were among those burned beyond recognition when a fire swept through the Tazreen Fashions Ltd. factory outside Dhaka on Nov. 24, 2012.
…
The court decision, coming a year after the fire, spells the first sign of hope for victims’ families who have been battling for a year to try to get compensation for the deaths of loved ones. But it also shows the arduous road that likely lies ahead for the victims of the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory complex on April 24, in which more than 1,100 died and thousands more were injured.
On Sunday, in ruling on the Tazreen Fashions fire, the judge also ordered the government to fix compensation, “based on international standards,” for all the victims, including the several hundred others who were injured. The case was filed by activists seeking justice for Tazreen victims.
And:
On Sunday, the high court judges ruled that the amount received by the 97 families was inadequate, and ordered the government to set up a more generous compensation package. This should be based on global standards in line with the United Nations International Labor Organization conventions, taking into account lost earnings, suffering and funeral costs, the court said.
As for Wal-Mart, as I pointed out the other day in relation to Rana Plaza, Wal-Mart really doesn’t care much about the people who die so the Walton family can line its pockets:
Labor groups have called on the brands sourcing from Tazreen Fashions to pay adequate and fair compensation to the victims of the fire. They have singled out U.S. retailer Wal-Mart in particular for having taken no action even though the largest portion of the factory’s production was destined for the U.S. company.
“By taking no action or delaying payment of deserved compensation, brands are condemning people to live in poverty and pain,” said Mirjam van Heugten of Clean Clothes Campaign.
A Wal-Mart spokesman said: “We are focused on investing our resources in proactive programs that will address safety issues in the garment and textile industry in Bangladesh and prevent incidents before they happen. Our engagement with the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, our contribution to the EHS Academy’s environmental health and safety training program and last week’s posting of our in-depth factory safety assessments are just a few examples of this work.” [emphasis added]
Just another day in Wal-Mart’s bottom line sleaziness.
