The International Accord Action Kit

In 2021, the enormously impactful Bangladesh Accord on Fire & Building Safety was renewed and expanded into an International agreement. The Accord is a binding agreement that has extended life-saving workplace safety to 2.5 million garment workers to date. And will now be expanded to many more. And yet many global brands, like Levi’s, have yet to sign on to the new Accord! We need these brands to sign on so more workers are protected, and that is where you come in!!

HOW TO TAKE ACTION:

1) Flood Levi’s comments on Instagram and tell them to #SigntheAccord or Tweet at them. Here are some sample Tweets (but feel free to make your own):

Hey @Levis — Four of your Pakistani garment workers died making your jeans in 2022. How many more have to perish before you #SigntheAccord
Hey @Levis — Women shouldn’t risk their lives making your jeans. #SigntheAccord
Hey @Levis — More than 175 brands have committed to protect progress and #SigntheAccord. Why won’t you?

You are also encouraged to create and share your own content about the Accord. When sharing about supporting the Accord, it’s very important to tag @Levis and use the #SigntheAccord hashtag.

2) Demand Levi’s sign the International Accord by sending an email to Levi’s Board Executives. Send an Email. (Link not working? You can also find pre-written email copy here.)

3) Deliver a letter to a Levi’s store. You can head to a Levi’s brick and mortar location, ask for a manager, and hand them a copy of this letter with your name signed at the bottom. Get the Letter.

4) Print out pocket-sized barcode tags and slip them into jean pockets in Levi’s stores. Get the Barcode.

5) Organize a protest in your city! If you’re interested in taking this action, please reach out to info@remake.world for more information.

Quotes & Testimonials About the Accord

Please use these quotes on social media; just make sure to give proper credit to the speaker! You can cut them down to a shorter length if you need to, but please try not to change the intention of the speaker.

“I firmly believe that if the accord stays, then we will not have to die in fire accidents and building collapses.” – Ronjona Aktar Hashi, Bangladeshi garment worker at the Alliance Knit Composite factory

“Eight years ago, the Accord was established for good reasons, to protect workers against dangerous working conditions and to put their safety first.” — Agnes Jongerius, a Member of European Parliament for the Netherlands (S&D)

“The Accord saves lives. Why on Earth would we walk away from something that works so effectively to keep garment makers safe?” — Elizabeth L. Cline, journalist and author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion

“The one thing I’ve experienced after the Accord started working here is that our workers have a voice now. If there’s a crack in the building they can say “no” to the factory managers, I will not come back until you fix it.” – Kalpona Akter, founder and executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity

“Because of the Accord, the work environment has improved very much. Before there would be sacks lying here and there in the aisles, there would be three machines instead of one. There was no way out. We would have to jump over one another to make our escape. Now the aisles are clear, the workspace is clean. Now we are working in a safer environment” – Parvin Akter, Assistant Secretary of Workers Union at Ananta Apparel

“Binding obligations for companies work much better than voluntary promises. As a result of that process [of the Accord], we now have vastly safer factories in Bangladesh.” – Scott Nova, Executive Director of the Worker Rights Consortium

“Bangladesh has experienced one of the most effective campaigns of the globalized era to improve labor and safety conditions.” — Lizzie Patton, The New York Times

“We can talk freely to Accord officials. When we file complaints to Accord officials, they respond very promptly. They don’t get easily convinced by the statements of the factory management. They regularly check compliance issues during factory inspections. We strongly believe that the Accord should stay and operate in Bangladesh.” — Mim Akter, garment worker and union leader, Dress and Dismatic factory, Bangladesh

“The Accord is a landmark agreement because it is a binding agreement. It’s not like the empty promises brands have been making to workers about their safety for years. That alone speaks volumes. ” – Kalpona Akter, founder and executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity

“We need brands to sign on the international Accord and continue to protect progress that has been made in our country. ” – Kalpona Akter, founder and executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity

“Brands and retailers must make sure that an incident like Rana Plaza can not happen again, here in Bangladesh, or in any other production country. Our workers’ lives are important.” – Kalpona Akter, founder and executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity

“If we had had the Accord before, we could have saved all those lives that were lost in the Rana Plaza collapse.” – Kalpona Akter, founder and executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity