After the blaze, which occurred in late November last year, labour rights organisations have put increasing pressure on Wal-Mart to take more direct responsibility for the suppliers and factories that make their garments, according to a report in Bloomberg.
Public disclosure of supply chains has gained attention in the media as retailers and clothing manufacturers, most notably Nike, have encouraged accountability in countries where unsafe conditions are widespread.
In contrast, Wal-Mart, which has maintained its stance of not naming suppliers, maintains low costs in part by “turning a blind eye” to the conditions and safety of workers around the globe, according to John C. Liu, the New York City Comptroller.
In November, the company fired a supplier it said had illegally subcontracted manufacturing to the Tazreen factory, which was found to be making the retailer’s private-label clothing brand. Wal-Mart representative told Bloomberg that last month the company had de- authorized manufacturing at the factory before the fire. He declined to say exactly when.
“Wal-Mart’s refusal to shed light on its suppliers and hold them accountable for their human and workers’ rights practices reflects a cavalier attitude toward compliance at the highest levels of the corporation,” Liu said in an e-mailed statement to Bloomberg.
“As a corporate policy, we don’t discuss our supplier relationships,” Kevin Gardner, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, told the publication.
