Bangladesh Factory Consumed in Fire Made Walmart Clothing

[unhappycamper]

http://news.firedoglake.com/2012/11/26/bangladesh-factory-consumed-in-fire-made-walmart-clothing/



Inside a garment factory in Bangladesh


Bangladesh Factory Consumed in Fire Made Walmart Clothing
By: David Dayen Monday November 26, 2012 2:50 pm

I briefly mentioned the implications of the Walmart supply chain, and how the insistence of keeping prices low has wide-ranging impacts across the globe. Apparently some of those impacts are completely tragic.

A day after shoppers searched for bargains and some workers protested during Black Friday, a garment factory fire in Bangladesh killed hundreds. The fire in Dhaka, the capital, started on a lower floor and worked its way up, with workers unable to escape through insufficient and dangerous emergency exits. It’s eerily reminiscent of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City, one which led to a raft of worker safety laws in America.

It turns out that the Bangladesh factory made American clothing, including clothing for Walmart’s Faded Glory brand.

~snip~

You can draw a through-line between the low prices at Walmart stores and the conditions in this factory. And Walmart’s massive size makes them completely culpable for those working conditions. Worker dissent here at home can have a powerful impact on the entire world, in other words.

[xchrom]

1. du rec. nt

[no_hypocrisy]

2. I don't want this story to be swept under the rug like when child labor violations were found

on NYC premises for a "factory" making Walmart clothes on behalf of Kathie Lee Gifford. There is a history of human rights violations concerning Walmart and the Proles continue to spend their money at this store.

[xchrom]

3. ...

[xocet]

4. Did the fire kill "at least 112" or did it kill "hundreds" as the article also states?

There is a significant difference between those two values.

Bangladesh Factory Consumed in Fire Made Walmart Clothing
David Dayen
Monday, November 26, 2012 2:50 pm

...
A day after shoppers searched for bargains and some workers protested during Black Friday, a garment factory fire in Bangladesh killed hundreds.
...

http://news.firedoglake.com/2012/11/26/bangladesh-factory-consumed-in-fire-made-walmart-clothing/

Obviously, this is a tragedy regardless of the number who were killed: however, the author of the article (David Dayen) should take the time to attempt to provide correct data about the magnitude of the tragedy and not simply put out statements that may be exaggerations.

[dipsydoodle]

5. AP Exclusive: Disney, Sears used factory in fire

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) -- Amid the ash, broken glass and melted sewing machines at what is left of the Tazreen Fashions Ltd. factory, there are piles of blue, red and off-white children's shorts bearing Wal-Mart's Faded Glory brand. Shorts from hip-hop star Sean Combs' ENYCE label lay on the floor and are stacked in cartons.

An Associated Press reporter searching the factory Wednesday found these and other clothes, including sweaters from the French company Teddy Smith, among the equipment charred in the fire that killed 112 workers Saturday. He also found entries in account books indicating that the factory took orders to produce clothes for Disney, Sears and other Western brands.

Garments and documents left behind in the factory show it was used by a host of major American and European retailers, though at least one of them - Wal-Mart - had been aware of safety problems. Wal-Mart blames a supplier for using Tazreen Fashions without its knowledge.

The fire has elevated awareness of something labor groups, retailers and governments have known for years: Bangladesh's fast-growing garment industry - second only to China's in exports - is rife with dangerous workplaces. More than 300 workers there have died in fires since 2006.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_BANGLADESH_FACTORY_FIRE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-11-28-04-39-51