Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2013-05-23-Speech-4-060-000"
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"en.20130523.7.4-060-000"2
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"Madam President, first of all I also would like to express my sorrow and offer my condolences to the families. We have to understand that, not only have people lost loved ones here, they have lost their means of sustenance. There are a lot of breadwinners, and they do not have the same support from the state that we would have in those circumstances.
It is yet another tragedy, just a few months after the factory fire, and – if only safety standards had been met. The workers actually pointed out that there were problems, and nothing was done. I welcome the fact that the government in Bangladesh has reacted very swiftly in initiating reforms on labour law, minimum wages and inspections, but we need to make sure that these reforms are actually implemented and not just adopted.
I also strongly welcome the accord on fire and building safety that a number of European retailers have signed but deeply regret that many retailers have not joined this – particularly American retailers. I have heard that one major German company has not joined it. We need to remember that a lot of retailers use the same factories, and the accord will only be effective if we have a single guarantee system to make sure safety rules are respected.
I welcome the Commissioner’s statement – it was a very strong statement – but I would like to know a little more about what we can do to create a coherent approach with our American partners in terms of international trade with Bangladesh, and how we can use the ‘Everything But Arms’ scheme and GSP as a means of leverage. I agree with the EPP speaker that we should not simply pull out and boycott Bangladeshi products, because there is so much dependence on the industry in Bangladesh. I would like to know how far the Commission would go in that respect.
In conclusion, we need action now, because far too many people have died already, and most of these tragedies were easily preventable."@en1
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