Walmart’s constant downward price pressure prevents factories from being able to afford necessary safety precautions and its own supply chain auditing has failed to protect workers from being killed in deadly fires.

One factory producing Walmart’s Faded Glory clothing line, Tazreen Fashions, caught fire on November 24, 2012, killing 112 workers and injuring more than 200 workers in the deadliest factory fire ever in Bangladesh. According to Walmart, a supplier had subcontracted work to Tazreen Fashions without Walmart’s authorization. Regardless of whether Walmart acknowledges Tazreen as an approved supplier, Walmart is responsible for the safety of the workers making its clothing and should not abandon Tazreen and its employees following this disaster.
Walmart must now provide full and fair compensation covering loss of future earnings as well as damages to the families of the dead as well as to the injured workers. In addition, to minimize the risk of future factory fires, Walmart should join the independent and comprehensive Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement with unions and labor rights groups that PVH (owner of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein) and German retailer Tchibo have already signed onto. The program includes independent inspections, public reporting, mandatory repairs and renovations, a central role for workers and unions in both oversight and implementation, supplier contracts with sufficient financing and adequate pricing, and a binding contract to make these commitments enforceable.