US safety plan for Bangladesh factories declared 'sham' by workers' rights groups

The workers' rights groups have labeled North American retailers agreement plan to improve safety standards in Bangladeshi garment factories as a 'sham'.

Earlier, an alliance of 17 US and Canadian brands and retailers had launched a five-year agreement as an alternative to a legally binding accord following the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh in April which claimed more than 1,000 lives.

The Guardian reports that this deal promises to arrange the inspection of all factories used by the signatories and the establishment of a common set of safety standards by October this year.

According to the report, some US firms were against joining the legally-binding accord because they feared it could expose them to unlimited liabilities.

Meanwhile, the critics said that the American plan could not be effective without the involvement of workers in its governance and lacked credibility without legal underpinning.