CCC, together with Bangladeshi and international labour rights groups and trade unions, have signed an Memorandum of Understanding with the US based company PVH (owner of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein) to improve safety at their suppliers in Bangladesh.

Fire and building safety is absolutely critical for Bangladeshi garment workers. CCC has been working for long time on safety in Bangladesh and believes this agreement reached with PVH has the potential to save the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of workers currently at risk.

The program allows for independent building inspections, worker rights training, public disclosure and a long-overdue review of safety standards. It is transparent as well as practical, and unique in being supported by all key labour stakeholders in Bangladesh and internationally. We expect other key brands to sign on quickly, to ensure that it can be fully implemented.

The agreement is referred to at ABC (US) today on "good-morning America" and "night-line",
see also: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/workers-die-factories-tommy-hilfiger/story?id=15966305

The agreement can be found at http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/page/pvh-announces-landmark-agreement-15969193

And more press at http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/rights/hilfiger-caves-factory-labor-conditions-ahead-abc-report

Scott Nova from the Worker Rights Consortium commented that the reform deal agreed to by PVH is "not another voluntary, non-binding, set of unenforceable corporate promises -- it is a binding, enforceable agreement under which the participating brands must open up their factories in Bangladesh to public scrutiny and must make these factories safe." He said the goal of advocacy groups now is to "compel more brands and retailers to accept the obligations of this program so that it can be fully implemented and, we hope, transform the apparel industry in Bangladesh from the most dangerous in the world for workers to an industry that is fundamentally safe."

We'll keep you posted!