The IUF is calling for an independent inquiry into the cause of the fire at Hashem Foods, Bangladesh that killed at least 53 workers, including children, and left many more injured.
A letter and statement delivered to Bangladesh Embassies call for the inquiry to investigate:
- the criminal negligence of the company in creating the hazardous conditions that led to the fire causing death and injury to workers
- how the company could ignore health and safety regulations, fire safety regulations and why no factory inspection identified the hazardous working conditions
- the prevalence of child labour in the factory in violation of ILO Convention No.138 and the Fundamental Principles of Rights at Work
The call comes after reports emerged that the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) had visited the Hashem factory on June 8, 2021 to inspect health and safety conditions. During the inspection, they saw child labour in the factory and issued a notice to the factory management regarding the employment of child labour in violation of the law. Hashem Foods management and its parent company Sajeeb Group simply ignored these notices, and no action was taken by any of the government authorities.
Photo credit: Mehedi Hasan, Dhaka Tribune
