Rana Plaza Never Again. A call to citizens to take action.

On 24 April 2013, the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, killing 1,134 people and injuring more than 2,000. The building was a nine-storey complex with several textile workshops working on subcontract for major fashion brands. The day before the collapse, several workers noticed deep cracks in the building. They alerted their supervisors, but the supervisors told them not to worry and to keep working unless they wanted to lose their wages. The next day, before nine o’clock in the morning, the floors began to collapse, leaving only the ground floor intact.

The community Real Sustainable Fashion has made a video with the slogan ‘Never Again’ to raise awareness of the dangers and human rights violations that still exist today in the garment industry:

Never Again Video

From the brand movement Real Sustainable Fashion we want:

1. Demand a fair and safe textile industry that puts an end to labour exploitation and is committed to factory safety, fair wages, freedom of association, transparency and respect for human rights.

2. Show our public rejection of those fashion companies that promote their social responsibility without first taking the necessary measures and making a real commitment to human rights violations.

3. Urge the population to buy with conscience from brands that are committed to all workers in their production chain and to put pressure on large corporations.

A statistical count by the Clean Clothes Campaign based on media reports shows that there have been more than 100 garment-related workplace accidents since the Rana Plaza collapse. Lack of safety and human rights violations continue to be replicated today in many countries and factories around the world.

And an increasing number of brands are hindering society’s progress in this area by falsely portraying themselves as working for social and environmental causes.

With both of these situations occurring at the same time, Ethical Time and the community Real Sustainable Fashion calls on citizens to take action, and to empower those brands that are truly committed to people, the environment and animals.

To make it easier for you to get to know brands with a real commitment, here is a list of +40 brands that have been verified as having achieved the highest standards of social and environmental impact throughout their production and supply chain. Real Sustainable Fashion by achieving the highest standards of social and environmental impact throughout their production and supply chain: