Walmart plans for own safety inspection at Bangladesh factories

Walmart has planned to conduct safety investigations at its Bangladesh factories by its own and not join accord with other retailers.

The world's largest retailer has declined to join an industry-wide safety deal for probing against the security conditions in Bangladesh factories, the BBC reports.

According to the report, several European labour groups have signed accord for a industry-wide pact, 'Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh' to finance fire and building safety conditions by 15th may, following the collapse of the nine-storey Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh last month killing 1100 people.

However, Walmart along with several other US retailers have refused to participate in the agreement and seeks to inspect its 279 factories, believing the results will yield sooner.

Director of Campaigns and Communications at the International Trade Union confederation Tim Noonan said that Walmart has planned to stay with a system that has failed previously.

Noonan's critical response comes after Western companies were criticized for not acting to protect low-paid workers following several safety incidents in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, The International Labour Organization has agreed to the new accord, saying that it will provide support to the initiative to help ensure that national organizations are able to implement and coordinate the security investigation and protection of workers as they believe the country's labour law needs to come at par with international standards.