Is Garment Workers' Safety Priority for Apparel Retailers?

Labor unions have alleged that approximately 500 workers have lost their lives to garment unit fires in the last five years. Most recently, the fire in a garment factory in Karachi Pakistan claimed the lives of nearly 300 workers, exposing the lack of health and safety measures of garment factories in low-cost garment manufacturing hubs like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Cambodia, India, etc.

Many of these garment factories produce product for renowned global brands and retailers like H&M, Levi Strauss, GAP, Topshop, Next, Adidas, Marks & Spencer, Tommy Hilfiger, Timberland, Debenhams, Sports Direct and many more.