Safety doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and tragedies halfway around
the world can affect anyone. In light of the Nov. 24 Bangladesh
factory fire, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis implored officials
in that country to take steps to investigate and institute workplace
safety changes. Here’s her full statement:
This past Saturday, Bangladesh suffered one of the worst
industrial accidents in its history. A devastating fire swept
through the Tazreen Fashion garment factory, killing more than 100
and injuring many more. I join U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan
Mozena in extending heartfelt condolences to the people of
Bangladesh and the many families who lost their loved ones.
Just over a century ago, in March 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist
factory in New York City burned to the ground, killing 146 people,
mainly young women. That fire was our call to action. It galvanized
support for stronger worker protections and institutions to enforce
them, from workplace health and safety to workers’ right to organize
and bargain collectively.
The Tazreen Fashion factory fire is a similar call to action for
Bangladesh and also for the many international buyers supplied by
the country’s garment factories. Investigations should be conducted
and the perpetrators punished, but things cannot then return to
business as usual. I know that change is not easy. The U.S.
Department of Labor stands ready to help, with technical assistance
and expertise, to work with the government of Bangladesh to ensure
that this horrific tragedy becomes a watershed moment for
Bangladeshi workers’ rights.
The opinions expressed in “Washington Wire” do not necessarily
reflect those of the National Safety Council or affiliated local
Chapters.
Safety doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and tragedies halfway around
the world can affect anyone. In light of the Nov. 24 Bangladesh
factory fire, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis implored officials
in that country to take steps to investigate and institute workplace
safety changes. Here’s her full statement:
This past Saturday, Bangladesh suffered one of the worst
industrial accidents in its history. A devastating fire swept
through the Tazreen Fashion garment factory, killing more than 100
and injuring many more. I join U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan
Mozena in extending heartfelt condolences to the people of
Bangladesh and the many families who lost their loved ones.
Just over a century ago, in March 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist
factory in New York City burned to the ground, killing 146 people,
mainly young women. That fire was our call to action. It galvanized
support for stronger worker protections and institutions to enforce
them, from workplace health and safety to workers’ right to organize
and bargain collectively.
The Tazreen Fashion factory fire is a similar call to action for
Bangladesh and also for the many international buyers supplied by
the country’s garment factories. Investigations should be conducted
and the perpetrators punished, but things cannot then return to
business as usual. I know that change is not easy. The U.S.
Department of Labor stands ready to help, with technical assistance
and expertise, to work with the government of Bangladesh to ensure
that this horrific tragedy becomes a watershed moment for
Bangladeshi workers’ rights.
The opinions expressed in “Washington Wire” do not necessarily
reflect those of the National Safety Council or affiliated local
Chapters.
