“Second Cairo factory tragedy in a month shows need for international safety agreement”, 06 April 2021

Last week, according to reports, at least 8 people died and 29 were injured when a ten story building housing a garment factory collapsed on them in the early morning…

The tragedy follows a building safety incident less than three weeks earlier, also near Obour City in the east of Cairo…

“Without enforceable agreements with the brands who purchase the goods these workers make, it will remain sheer impossible to trace back the affected factories to the brands that were manufactured in this building and hold them to account. The voluntary initiatives of the past have given us ample examples of failure…” says Ineke Zeldenrust…

The tragedy shows the need for concerted efforts in the industry to improve factory safety and healthy workplace conditions…

Clean Clothes Campaign calls upon the brands and retailers who sourced from the two factories in Egypt where workers were killed in the past month, to provide full and fair compensation to the families who lost loved ones and injured workers. Furthermore, it is urgently needed for brands and retailers to negotiate and join a legally binding agreement on health and safety in the workplace…