Strasbourg, 17/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - Considering that the number of workers who have recently lost their lives in factory fires in South Asia is perfectly unacceptable, the European Parliament called on Bangladesh and Pakistan, on Thursday 17 January, to conduct in-depth inquiries into the fires. It trusts that those responsible for criminal negligence and other criminal activity in relation to the fires will be prosecuted and that the victims will have unhindered access to justice. In a joint resolution, MEPs call on the government to ensure that measures are set in place to prevent a recurrence of such tragedies, including the full respect by all manufacturers of health and safety legislation and the setting in place of an effective and independent system for the inspection of industrial buildings and the workplace.
The Parliament also calls on the manufacturers of major international clothing brands to make a critical review of their supply chains and to cooperate with their suppliers in order to improve health and safety at work. It calls on the Commission to encourage European companies abroad to behave “responsibly”, and advocates that a voluntary labelling system be developed certifying that a product is made in accordance with fundamental standards set out by the International Labour Organisation. (CG/transl.jl)