Levi Strauss & Co. has signed the Pakistan Accord, an offshoot of the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry that aims to replicate in Pakistan the safety improvements that the Bangladesh Accord achieved following the 2013 collapse of Rana Plaza, which killed more than 1,130 garment workers and injured thousands more just outside of Dhaka, 1,250 miles from Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad.
Seven months before the building crumbled into rubble, Pakistan experienced an industrial tragedy of its own when 250 garment workers died in a fire at Ali Enterprises, whose locked emergency doors and narrowly grilled windows prevented them from reaching safety.
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Levi’s addition to the Pakistan Accord’s roster, which includes 128 other brands and retailers, including Asos, Gap Inc., H&M Group and Zara owner Inditex, is being hailed by labor rights groups as a victory because it was so hard won. Organizations such as the Clean Clothes Campaign, Labour Behind the Label and Remake have burned up internet lines, blitzed social media and picketed streets urging the denim juggernaut to sign the legally binding agreement, which would hold it liable for ensuring that its suppliers participate in the Pakistan Accord’s inspection, remediation safety training and worker grievance programs. Before the Pakistani expansion, they did the same for the International Accord, homing in on Pakistan in particular only after four workers died from toxic fume exposure at one of Levi’s suppliers in 2022. In one memorable protest organized by Remake the following year, four shrouded figures lay outside a Levi’s store in New York City’s Times Square.
“The signing of the Pakistan Accord by Levi’s marks a critical moment for American brands stepping up to protect their workers,” said Emily Stochl, Remake’s vice president of advocacy. “This victory is a reminder that sustained collective activism works — and when garment workers, advocates and brands come together, we can create a fashion industry that prioritizes the safety and dignity of its workers.”
But activists like Christie Miedema, campaign and outreach coordinator at the Clean Clothes Campaign, said this wasn’t a complete win. Like Gap, Levi’s chose not to sign the Bangladesh Accord, instead aligning itself with Nirapon, which spun out of the original Bangladesh Accord’s rival Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety. According to Levi’s supplier list, it has a comparable number of manufacturers in Bangladesh and Pakistan: 34 in the former and 31 in the latter. Miedema has accused brands that don’t sign any version of the Accord but benefit from it because they share facilities with signatories of essentially “free riding.” Which is to say, if the workers there are safer, it’s not because of them.
“Workers and activists welcome the fact that Levi’s now has come around and signed the International Accord and its Pakistan country program,” she said, describing Nirapon as a “worker hotline” set up by brands that were unwilling to join the Accord because they balked at its binding nature and strong union participation. “We hope that the company will take this opportunity to also sign the Accord’s Bangladesh program and leave the opaque and industry-led Nirapon initiative behind.”
Clean Clothes Campaign also pointed out the urgency that brands stop dragging their feet on signing the Pakistan Accord: On Monday, a worker died and four were injured in an explosion at a Levi’s supplier factory in Lahore. It said that Pakistan’s garment sector is “notoriously dangerous” and that the Pakistan Accord can cover all workers and factories only with the backing of every major company sourcing from the country. Banner names — and activist targets — such as Amazon, Decathlon, Nike and Ikea have also shunned any version of the Accord. Nike shareholders nixed in September, in fact, a proposal that would have required it to evaluate the impact of worker-led interventions and legally binding agreements on its ability to identify and remediate human rights issues when sourcing products from high-risk countries. The Pakistan Accord was name-checked in the petition.
Levi’s did not address the Clean Clothes Campaign’s comments, but said it believes that the workers who make its products should “work in a safe and healthy environment and be treated with dignity and respect.”
“We have therefore long been invested in strengthening safety policies across our supply chain. After monitoring its progress since inception, we are joining the Pakistan Accord alongside peer brands to strengthen worker safety within our supply chain in Pakistan,” a spokesperson said. “We will continue to work to enhance our building, fire and electrical safety efforts in all sourcing countries.”
The International Accord declined to comment on Miedema’s remarks as well. It said it’s excited to welcome Levi’s to the Pakistan Accord and looks forward to working with it to promote workplace health and safety in Pakistan.
“Signatories of the Pakistan Accord and their supplying facilities work together to create safer, more sustainable working environments,” a spokesperson said. “We encourage all garment and textile companies to sign the Pakistan Accord and contribute to the collective goal of improving health and safety within the textile and garment industry.”