Wal-Mart: Bangladesh factory in deadly fire made clothes without our knowledge

Bangladeshis and firefighters battle a fire at a garment factory in the Savar neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh, late Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. / AP Photo/Polash Khan

DHAKA, Bangladesh The garment factory in Bangladesh where a weekend fire killed at least 112 people had been making clothes for Wal-Mart without the giant U.S. retailer's knowledge, Wal-Mart said.

Wal-Mart said the Tazreen Fashions Ltd. factory was no longer authorized to produce merchandise for Wal-Mart but that a supplier subcontracted work to it "in direct violation of our policies."

• Death toll in Bangladesh garment factory fire rises

"Today, we have terminated the relationship with that supplier," America's biggest retailer said in a statement Monday. "The fact that this occurred is extremely troubling to us, and we will continue to work across the apparel industry to improve fire safety education and training in Bangladesh."

The blaze on Saturday was one of the deadliest fires at a garment factory in Bangladesh and highlighted how the country's garment factories often ignore safety in the rush to supply major retailers in the U.S. and Europe. More than 300 people have died over the past six years in garment factory fires in the South Asian country.

Survivors of the weekend fire said an exit door was locked, fire extinguishers didn't work and apparently were there just to impress inspectors, and that when the fire alarm went off, bosses told workers to return to their sewing machines. Victims were trapped or jumped to their deaths from the eight-story building, which had no emergency exits.

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Protests in Bangladesh after deadly factory fire

On Tuesday, the Bangladesh national flag flew at half-mast in all government buildings as the nation mourned the dead. The country's garment factories also closed as the government announced a day of national mourning to honor those killed in the fire.

Prayers were being offered at places of worship across the country, the government said.

On Monday, about 15,000 Bangladeshi workers protested blocks from the gutted building in the Dhaka suburb of Savar, demanding justice for the victims and improved safety. Some 200 factories were closed for the day after the protest erupted. Demonstrators blocked a major highway, threw stones at factories and smashed vehicles.

Labor leaders hope outrage over the latest disaster will prompt change. Tahmina Rahman, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garment Workers Federation, said the government needs to do more to punish factories for safety lapses.

"The owners go unpunished and so they don't care about installing enough security facilities," she said. "The owners should be held responsible and sent to jail."

Wal-Mart did not say why it dropped the Tazreen factory. But in its 2012 Global Responsibility report, Wal-Mart said it stopped working with 49 factories in Bangladesh in 2011 because of fire safety issues. And online records appear to indicate the Tazreen factory was given a "high risk" safety rating after an inspection in May 2011 and a "medium risk" rating in August 2011.

Bangladeshis identify the bodies of relatives who died in a fire at a garment factory, in the Savar neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. At least 112 people were killed in a late Saturday night fire that raced through the multi-story garment factory just outside of Bangladesh's capital, an official Sunday.

/ AP Photo/Polash Khan

For more than a day after the fire, Wal-Mart said it could not confirm whether it was still doing business with Tazreen, which was making T-shirts and polo shirts. The uncertainty illustrated how major retailers in the U.S. and Europe rely on a highly complex chain of foreign manufacturers and middlemen to keep their shelves stocked.

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[rwsmith29456]

Too bad we can't afford to pay people to make quality goods in the USA where we have passed the phase of having death traps to work in. We had our lesson taught to us in the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist fire where 146 workers died in very much the same way as this Bangladesh catastrophe.

[ECON-STALKER]

We could afford to pay them if these "out of the coutry" factories weren't sweatshops. Robust competition sets prices, not workers pay. Huge companies with the ability to bankrupt the competition, rip off consumers, and abuse suppliers make a lot of money; but they do not contribute much to the public good. Corporations are formed to maximixe profits. It is the job of government to channel that quest for profits to promote the public good. This is a breakdown of government protection on a massive scale. When I buy something I do not want to feel the need to decide if it was produced ethically or not. Governments need to oversee that. Ever sinced NAFTA was enacted our government has pursued policies that encourage this type of abuse. Bill Clinton, George W.Bush, and Barak Obama have all signed trade agreements that promote these kinds of factories. Do not blame Walmart. I'm sure they were acting within the law. If they were not, then they should be prosecuted. Blame yourself for voting for senators, representatives, and presidents that allowed this to get out of hand. You may not want to take responsibility for this, but if you do, wou will empower yourself to stop it. You can do this by being an informed voter, listening to several takes on each issue, and taking your right to vote as a responsibility to be excercised wisely.

[audemus]

Now with all their many other "accomplishments", Wal-Mart can add to it the Blood of at least 112 Human-Beings. I Hope those "unbelievable prices" are worth it...

[lloydbest1]

"The garment factory in Bangladesh where a weekend fire killed at least 112 people had been making clothes for Wal-Mart without the giant U.S. retailer's knowledge, Wal-Mart said."

I find that extremely disturbing. What's even worse is the company appears to offer that up as an excuse for its indirect involvement in this fire as well as many other unreported accidents in supply houses under its umbrella.
In this case, "We didn't know" is an aggrivating circumstance. A reputable firm will know the provenance of every article in its supply chain from raw materials to the finished product. It will know who made these items, the working conditions under which they are made. It will know how it got from the factory floor to their shelves and it will insure that the people who labor for the company directly AS WELL as its suppliers are insured of compensation that meets or beats minimum standards of human dignity.
Bangladesh has an abysmal record of human rights abuse and its commitment to its poorest and most vulnerable citizens (who, like ours, generate the vast majority of the nation's wealth) is minimal or flatly non existant. The entire country deserves a black eye for this latest c*ck-up and many others that wouldn't have been tolerated even in pre-twentieth century America.....
....But the fact remains Wal-Mart did do business with many suppliers in Balgladesh and other south Asian nations, did trumpet outsourcing as beneficial, and continue today to insist on maintaining those business practises that drive down American wages and abolish the concept of a middle income working class. For that, they are culpable too and share in the responsibility.

[Dancing-in-the-Streets]

"Managers told us, 'Nothing happened. The fire alarm had just gone out of order. Go back to work,'" Ripu said. "But we quickly understood that there was a fire. As we again ran for the exit point we found it locked from outside, and it was too late."
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Oh but Unions are evil and no one needs them right? : /

[GossamerWings]

Tell their government to clean up or tax all imports and that will stop this crap. China and India practice slave market. Shame on them and shame on us for buying their goods.

[bigmanfrommaine]

Wal-Mart is the ultimate predatory company. They work people to death in 3rd world countries, pay their 'associates' crap in this country to the point that they have to be on welfare just to survive, and drive reputable small businesses out of towns all across the country.

Having said that, how many of us have shopped there?

[mturner1938]

Wal-Mart did not authorize this factory to make products for them? Did these products wind up on Wal-Marts shelves, if so then who did authorize them?

[ptwest111]

Walmart is a comany built on selling crap made in foreign countries. After working to keep this store out of our neighborhood, I can say Walmart is full of liars and after the story of them in South America, I surely do not beleive ANYTHING that comes out of a Walmart executive's mouth!

[leonina56again]

Walmart executives claim they are not responsible for this crime against humanity. Fine. They are, though, accountible. If they are not charged here on earth, fine. They will be held responsible at the Judgement Seat of God and I hope He decides to send them all to hell for eternity, where they will find waiting for them the Hitler's and Manson's and all of that ilk ready to send them to sweatshop hell, lock the doors, start a flesh burning fire and laugh as they scream over and over and over again ad infinitum. If they want to avoid this (and who wouldn't) they will open their big, fat walmart wallets and pay every father, mother, son, daughter, niece, nephew, cousin, et cetera of those who died at least one million dollars each. Yes, it is cold comfort for losing a loved one so tragically, but it is the only way to say "I'm sorry" that these greedy M*****F***ers will ever understand. Hit them where they live and maybe, just MAYBE they will change the way they do business. Until then, PLEASE boycott Walmart. Do your shopping with small business owners. They are a big part of your community, probably the best part, too.

God Bless all in Bangeladesh. My prayers are with you.

Leonina

[jnostromo]

Yeah right...Walmart is a joke and has been a threat to this country for a long time.

[tsigili]

We know better than to believe the WalMart excuses. Of course they look the other way, to get stuff cheaper. They always have.