Wal-Mart, Gap refuses safety pact

Philip Jennings of the UNI Global Union on the retailers' decision not to sign a deal to improve working conditions in Bangladesh.

世界最大零售商沃尔玛拒绝签署消费者和劳工团体敦促实施的工人安全协议，称它的工厂监督员将对其在孟加拉国使用的279家工厂“进行100%的深度安全检查”，并把结果发布在官方网站上。上个月，孟加拉国拉纳广场(Rana Plaza)工厂区发生坍塌，致超过1100人死亡。之后，血汗工厂话题再次成为热议焦点。美国劳工联合会发言人芬尼根表示，希望美国零售企业效仿H&M，尊重公会以及劳动者，主动承担起责任。

We started this process on Monday morning, and we didn’t have the signatories that you have mentioned. Since Monday, we have now over 25 signatories. We have a critical mass of companies that sourcing Bangladesh that had signed up for this agreement. There may well be more news in the next 3 hours and 33 minutes, I am not surprised of Walmart, they want to have their own flag of convenience; they want to present themselves to the world as the judge and the jury of their own behavior; they don’t past the test of independent governance, independent inspection or proper remediable measures.

Well, this is …

We appeal to Gap, you’ve got time. Gap, you’ve got 3 hours and 32 minutes to sign up for this safety accord. This is a moment where history is in the making, we want Gap to be part of this. I appeal to Glenn Murphy, the CEO, and to all the consumers that are loyal whom Gap to enter this agreement.

Well, this is an interesting bid. Gap says that it doesn’t want dispute to be launched in court, into going through the courts. How big is the deal of that, really? Or is it just an excuse?

For me, it looks some more paper thing, and they’re getting into details and trying to find the detail which provides an obstacle. For them, it’s not to sign up. We have a system of governance in place; we have a system of independent inspection in place; we have a way of dealing with the issues as they emerge as social partners in a dialogue. Going to court is the ultimate after a process of arbitration. We are going to try to resolve these issues on the basis of the reports we’ve received. We are talking about finding arbitration only when we need to do it. We will have a respective report that will be placed before the parties with a remediation measure. We hope this does not go to the court. A court is a last resort. We go there if we have to. So, Gap, come on. As I said before, get the lawyers out of the room. We have a critical massive companies signing up. This is a life-changing decision. Stand up, step up and sign this agreement.