Description:
When a garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh in April 2013, calls rang out for change. Yet recent inspections of 1,100 Bangladeshi garment factories found safety hazards in them all. In approximately 20 factories, the inspections revealed conditions severe enough to provoke immediate closure.

Source: Industry Week.com

Date: October 14, 2014

Link: http://www.industryweek.com/safety/retailers-find-80000-safety-hazards-bangladesh-factories

Questions for Discussion:

1) What do you think are some of the reasons why the progress is slower than consumers may have expected?

2) The article raises the question of ‘who should pay?’ for the upgrades noting the manufacturers have requested low interest loans from retailers. How can accountants contribute in answering this question? What accounting issues might arise?

3) When you get dressed in the morning, do you reflect upon the point of origin of the garments you are wearing? Where were they made? What are the conditions like in the factory they were made in?