Walmart shorts were among the items of clothing found in the charred ruins of the Tazreen Fashions factory, but the company has shied away from responsibility. For Western retailers, where many garments are made in Bangladesh, it is business as usual. Fault Lines head there to investigate the cause. The fire started on the first floor and spread rapidly. At least 112 people were killed and hundreds injured. Many workers were trapped inside because the doors were locked and there were no emergency exits from the building.
Remnants of the fire are still everywhere. Workers jumped from the burning building onto the roof of the dormitory. All windows were barred so workers had to kick exhaust fans to jump onto the building. Five months after the fire, another disaster in Bangladesh has captured the world’s attention. Rana Plaza, an eight-story building containing several textile factories, collapsed. More than 1,000 people died. While the collapse was on a far smaller scale than the fire, the basic questions Tazlin posed were the same.
How did such a tragedy happen, and who should bear the responsibility in the end? Before arriving in Bangladesh, Fault Lines received internal documents related to an order for Walmart shorts. Documentation gave them a glimpse into the intricate ways Walmart makes its clothes.
Wal-Mart is the pioneer and the most ruthless practitioner of the procurement model of the clothing industry. It’s a system that protects companies from blame in the event of disaster.
Wal-Mart’s supply chain has two key features. Walmart exerts intense pressure on its suppliers and overseas contract factories to reduce production costs, knowing that these factories will disregard workers’ rights and safety. Then, secondly, using multiple layers of agents and contractors allows Walmart to shirk responsibility for the inevitable consequences of these purchasing practices.
