Accord and Alliance Talks Progress

There could be a thaw taking place between the Accord on Fire and Building Safety and the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety. The bitterness and rivalry between the Accord and the Alliance, the two groups of brands and retailers that are working to improve factory conditions and worker safety in the nation’s apparel industry, appeared insurmountable on the ground over the past year. This was even though their fundamental agendas were the same: To make the industry safer and more sustainable after the collapse at the eight story building Rana Plaza in April 2012, in which more than 1,130 workers were killed. But in the last few weeks it appears that the ice between the two groups is melting, and government officials in Dhaka as well as factory owners said they can feel a palpable change. “It’s true that we are working closer together these days,” said Ian Spalding, adviser to the Alliance, which represents 28 brands and retailers including Target Corp., VF Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Gap Inc. that source from about 587 factories in Bangladesh. On Thursday, the two are set to take a major stride forward with a joint request to the Bangladesh government for quicker decisions as they set

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