WalMart’s Tears for a Tragedy

[marmar]

from Consortium News:



WalMart’s Tears for a Tragedy
November 29, 2012

Exclusive: On Saturday, a fire swept through a garment factory near Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing some 120 workers trapped behind locked doors. WalMart, one of the factory’s clothes buyers, quickly distanced itself from the tragedy, but WalMart’s profiting from sweatshops is a long-term pattern, writes Barbara Koeppel.

By Barbara Koeppel


WalMart. STOP, PLEASE. It’s hard to hear how “troubled” you are, as you claimed on Monday, about the fire at the Tazreen factory that sewed your clothes. Or that the factory was “no longer authorized” to produce your merchandise. Or that you will “continue to work across the apparel industry to improve fire safety education and training in Bangladesh.”

This has to be hogwash from a company known for its tight control over production and prices. Or one that pushes its suppliers to the last penny (or the taka, in Bangladesh).

So another 120 workers — mostly women — who earn 20 cents an hour died last Saturday in a building where 1,000 worked and the fire extinguishers didn’t, and exits were locked.

WalMart, surely you dissemble. Just as in 1991, when you contracted with the Saraka garment factory in Dhaka to make your clothes, only one year after the plant had a fire killing 25 children — well covered in the news. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://consortiumnews.com/2012/11/29/walmarts-tears-for-a-tragedy/

[xchrom]

1. du rec. nt

[Heather MC]

2. Worst Company ever!!!

[SoapBox]

5. Ditto.

[Teamster Jeff]

3. K&R

Walmart is trying to hide behind their cheesy color code grading system of factories used by their suppliers. The outside auditors have no power to and are easily ignored. Oh yeah, Walmart also issues a safety manuel.

[tavalon]

4. I think when you said dissemble, you meant lie.

Sorry to be so particular but I am just damn tired of seeing gentler synonyms for lying.

[Doctor_J]

9. marmar didn't use the word disemble

the author of the article at consortium news did.

[saidsimplesimon]

6. marmar, so, let's stop shopping at Walmarts? I've

been into a Walmart, maybe a dozen times since they opened. The chemical smells from the clothing racks drove me out of the stores. My allergies do not include saving money. They do include the rot of pure greed.

Shop local, shop union, it's worth the effort, imho.

[marmar]

7. I've never shopped there......

...... The only time I've been IN a Walmart was to take a leak while visiting Northern California, driving back from Monterey to San Francisco.