Retail Council of Canada - Statement - Bangladesh

TORONTO, April 30, 2013 /CNW/ - Retail Council of Canada (RCC) and its members wish to offer their sincere condolences to the victims and their families in Savar, Bangladesh.

Following discussions with members of Retail Council of Canada, the following steps have been developed:

1. Working with members in Canada and with global partners, RCC will develop an updated set of responsible trade guidelines, best practices, educational material and resources for the industry.
2. In order to have a broader impact, RCC has joined a North-American coalition consisting of the following industry associations:  American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), National Retail Federation (NRF), and Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA).
3. This North-American coalition is currently working with global stakeholders such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), NGOs, international industry associations, the Bangladeshi government, the Bangladesh garments manufacturers association and local Bangladeshi civil society organizations to find common ground so that industry can align, in a meaningful way, with a plan to address safety standards in the Bangladesh garment industry.

RCC is committed to working with its members and the international community to drive change in Bangladesh to help prevent similar incidents in the future.

Retail Council of Canada (www.retailcouncil.org) is the Voice of Retail. Founded in 1963, RCC is a not-for-profit association which represents more than 45,000 stores of all retail formats, including department, grocery, independent merchants, regional and national specialty chains, and online merchants.

SOURCE: Retail Council of Canada

David Day
Retail Council of Canada
[phone]