Landmark Agreement Protecting Garment Workers Sees Last-Minute Extension

The Accord on Fire and Building Safety was signed by more than 200 brands — including Inditex, H&M and Primark — after the Rana Plaza manufacturing complex collapsed in Bangladesh in 2013, killing more than 1,000 people in the garment sector’s deadliest disaster. Brands and unions extended negotiations for the future of the accord, which was set to expire next week, by three months, The New York Times reported.  

The fate of the accord has worldwide ramifications, and workers rights groups remain fearful that if the accord lapses without a binding replacement, it could set back progress made against labour abuses in the industry.