Summary The fire that killed some 400 people in a Bangladesh garment factory has ignited calls for change. While the search continues for the hundreds still missing after the deadly blaze, many are saying that it is time for a change. Already the man that owns the building where the factory was housed has been arrested, but there is a push to take additional steps as well. With wage rates at just $38 per month, Bangladesh has become a hub in the garment manufacturing industry.

In fact, clothing accounts for 77 percent of Bangladesh's total exports. Many name brand Western clothing companies rely on the country as a cheap source of garments, and customers have come to expect that cheap clothing will be readily available in stores. Still, Oxfam, an organization that works to eradicate poverty, believes that wages in the industry are too low and wants to see them rise to $60 per month.

After the fire, some people protested outside a Primark store in London. Primark was just one Western retailer that sourced its products at the factory were the deadly fire occurred. Primark issued a statement noting that it already works with NGOs to monitor the working conditions within the factories that supply it, and that it would work to extend that monitoring to the factory buildings as well. Bangladesh has also said that it will begin to inspect all buildings in an effort to prevent further disasters like this one, but did not offer any details as to how or when this would occur.

Discussion Questions

1. Who should be held accountable for the factory that killed hundreds of people in Bangladesh? Is it sufficient to arrest the building owner, or should the companies that buy from the factories face consequences as well?

2. Do Primark and other retailers have a moral responsibility to monitor the working conditions in the factories where they source their products? Should the retailers also be held accountable for the safety of the buildings where the factories are housed? Suppose the owner has not actually violated any Bangladeshi laws, but the factory does not meet the standards used in most developed countries. Is Primark avoiding its ethical responsibility by continuing to buy from the factory?

3. Many people are pushing for more change to prevent further disasters in factories in Bangladesh. Has the Bangladeshi government done enough to stop the poor conditions in the buildings and factories where these disasters have occurred? Should building and labor laws in Bangladesh be held to the same standards as those in the United States?

4. Some people have called for a boycott of garments produced in Bangladesh. Do you agree with this recommendation? If retailers boycott the factories to ensure their compliance with basic levels of safety, what happens to the people who work in those factories? Consider your response using a utilitarianism perspective.

5. Oxfam claims that the wages paid to workers in the garment factories are far too low and should be boosted significantly. Is Oxfam right? Is it a human rights violation to source goods from factories where wages are so low? If higher wages are implemented what might happen to the industry?