Category: Labour rights

We have just heard that after months of promises, Woolworths have finally listened to you and signed the Bangladesh Fire and Safety Accord. This means that soon, safety teams will be inspecting all of Woolworths’ (Big W) supplier factories in Bangladesh for building and fire safety. The news that Woolworths has finally signed the Bangladesh […] Read more »

Last Tuesday the Aswad Composite Mills factory in Gazipur in Bangladesh burnt down killing at least 7 people and injuring around 50. The factory provided fabric to Big W (owned by Woolworths), Target Australia, Kmart Australia as well as several European, American and Canadian clothing companies. We need all Australian companies to do more ensure worker’s […] Read more »

The 7 October is World Day for Decent Work. It is a day when groups around the world call in unison for social justice and decent jobs for all.  Decent wages as well as safe workplaces and freedom of association (the right to form and join a union of your choice) continue to be important […] Read more »

Thanks to the great work of Oxfam supporters like you, another major Australian clothing retailer has now signed the Bangladesh Fire and Safety Accord. This week, Specialty Fashion Group (incorporating the Katies, Millers, City Chic, Autograph and Crossroads brands) became the fifth Australian company to sign the accord, joining Kmart, Target, Cotton On and Forever […] Read more »

When retailers tell the truth about where their products come from, their honesty means better working conditions for the people who make the products. Oxfam has spent nearly two decades investigating the global clothing industry, uncovering a world where low wages, long hours of overtime and unsafe work practices are the norm. Our investigations are […] Read more »

Last week, Sarah Crawford, a Sydney mum of three, delivered a petition to Woolworths asking the company to join the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement and ensure Bangladeshi workers making Big W clothing are able to work in safe factories. Here is Sarah’s story of delivering her petition to Woolworths in Sydney:  My Thursdays […] Read more »

Over the past week there has been a major win in efforts to improve the garment factory safety standards in Bangladesh. More than 30 companies including H&M, Mango, Inditex (owner of the Zara brand), Primark, C&A and Tesco have now agreed to sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. Unfortunately, Cotton On, […] Read more »

Oxfam Australia is urging some of Australia’s biggest retailers to immediately release the locations of their factories in Bangladesh, as the death toll from last week’s collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka climbs to more than 400. It is imperative that Big W, Cotton On, K-Mart, Target and Pacific Brands release details of […] Read more »

The recent news of a factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh is a shocking reminder of the unsafe conditions facing millions of workers across Asia. Unfortunately, hazardous and sometimes deadly conditions remain commonplace in the garment industry, alongside very low wages and long working hours. This tragedy highlights that companies sourcing from Bangladesh are not doing […] Read more »

In countries like Indonesia, many women and men making goods for big-name brands are struggling to make ends meet. Workers who enjoy freedom of association (freedom to form unions and negotiate with employers) have the best chance of obtaining fairer working conditions, escaping cycles of poverty and debt. But even when countries recognise freedom of […] Read more »