Amazon: Stop free-riding on worker safety, sign the International Accord!

UNI Global Union and IndustriALL Global Union are calling on Amazon, as a major clothing retailer, to take responsibility for workers in their supply chain and sign the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry.

Amazon’s free-riding must cease. Sign the petition and tell Amazon to sign the Accord now!

Since the horrifying death of over 1,100 garment workers’ lives in the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh on 24 April 2013, the International Accord has been a beacon of progress, uniting unions, brands and suppliers behind the common mission of ensuring workplace safety.

Negotiated by UNI and IndustriALL, the legally binding agreement has made a huge difference: over 56,000 independent safety inspections have been conducted, 140,000 safety issues have been resolved, and 2 million workers have been trained in health and safety protocols. It has now been expanded to Pakistan.

“As the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon’s failure to sign the Accord is inexcusable, said UNI General Secretary, Christy Hoffman and IndustriALL General Secretary, Atle Høie, in a joint letter to Andrew Jassy, the CEO of Amazon.

“Amazon’s published list of suppliers includes 30 out of 33 factories in Bangladesh and Pakistan that are covered by the rigorous safety demands and worker rights required by the International Accord. Amazon is therefore free-riding off the back of the Accord thanks to brands that are prepared to take responsibility for the health and safety of the workers in their supply chain.”

On 24 April, the 11th anniversary of Rana Plaza, the European Parliament is set to hold a final vote on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. The directive will require EU and non-EU companies with a minimum turnover of 450 million Euros in the EU to conduct human rights and environmental due diligence across their value chains. The Accord is well positioned to ensure companies can demonstrate they meet its requirements, including for a notification and complaints procedure.

“As befitting to the world’s largest online retailer, we call on Amazon to shore up its own supply chain due diligence and sign the International Accord, a tried and tested model that works,” continued Hoffman and Høie in the letter.

The Accord has become a lifeline for factory workers. Over 200 brands have committed, securing safer futures for millions in Bangladesh, with Pakistan now benefiting from its life-saving initiatives.

UNI_IndustriALL_Amazon_Sign_The_International_Accord – Letter