24 April 2014, one year after the Rana Plaza disaster Pay Up! And Fashion Revolution Day

When the Rana Plaza building (Dakha, Bangladesh) collapsed on 24 April 2013, 1,138 people were killed and over 2,000 people injured. Since September 2013, the Rana Plaza Coordination Committee has been developing a scheme to ensure all the Rana Plaza victims, their families and dependents receive payments to cover the losses they suffered as a result of the disaster. The Committee is chaired by the International Labour Organisation and brings together the Government of Bangladesh, as well as the local and global garment industry, international and local trade unions and civil society.

Now the scheme is ready, and leading labour rights groups and trade unions across the world have released a joint statement asking for a contribution from brands found to have a relationship with at least one of the factories that was housed in the Rana Plaza building. The aim is to establish a claims process to support victims and their families with payments and medical assessments, ensuring that all those affected receive the compensation they deserve. The Rana Plaza Donor Trust Fund is now opened and waiting for donations, as a minimum of $40m is needed prior to 24 April. For more information, click here.

In parallel, a growing number of people across the world – from designers and icons, to high street shops and high couture, from cotton farmers and factory workers, to campaigners, academics, the media, and any individual who cares about what they wear – are preparing to come together on 24 April 2014, a year after the tragedy, to say “enough is enough”. On that day, victims will be remembered and awareness for the fashion industry’s biggest challenges will be raised. Founder of Fashion Revolution, Carry Somers says “Fashion Revolution Day has gathered incredible momentum on a global scale. We have over 40 countries around the world who will be participating in the day and I believe this represents a really exciting opportunity to reconnect fashion-lovers with the people who made their clothes”. For more information on the Fashion Revolution Day click here.