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The Straight Story

(48,121 posts)
Thu Nov 29, 2012, 11:31 AM Nov 2012

Workers: Managers Locked Us in Burning Factory

Workers: Managers Locked Us in Burning Factory

Survivors of the devastating Bangladesh garment factory fire tell a harrowing tale to human rights and labor groups: As the alarms sounded, managers—assuming it was a false alarm and not wanting workers to leave—shut the security gates, locking workers inside. The police and fire departments confirmed the "gates were locked on each floor," a director of one human rights group tells ABC News. "The fire department said they had to come in with bolt cutters to cut the locks." Three supervisors have been arrested, accused of locking the exits and keeping workers from escaping, the BBC reports.

The owner of the factory, meanwhile, told the Daily Star newspaper "it was my fault," the AP reports. But he says he was never told the factory should have an emergency exit. The government is still calling the fire an act of sabotage, and police have also arrested two people seen on video attempting to start a fire in another factory, Reuters reports. There was also a fire at another factory Monday and an explosion at a third facility Tuesday, leading to concerns that someone is trying to sabotage the entire industry. Meanwhile, protests are raging near Dhaka for the third day, with thousands of textile workers demanding safer work conditions.

http://www.newser.com/story/158459/workers-managers-locked-us-in-burning-factory.html

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Workers: Managers Locked Us in Burning Factory (Original Post) The Straight Story Nov 2012 OP
"The owner...says he was never told the factory should have an emergency exit." KansDem Nov 2012 #1
Disney, Wal-Mart, Sears used Bangladesh factory in deadly fire moondust Nov 2012 #2
Exporting the Traingle Shirtwaist Company. raouldukelives Nov 2012 #3
As tragic as it is nadinbrzezinski Nov 2012 #4
So, not only was there no Emergency Exit, They_Live Nov 2012 #5

KansDem

(28,498 posts)
1. "The owner...says he was never told the factory should have an emergency exit."
Thu Nov 29, 2012, 11:49 AM
Nov 2012

Oh, really?



Well, I'm not bright enough or rich enough to own a factory, but if I did, I know I wouldn't have to "be told" to have an emergency exit. Knowing I'd have 100s of employees working in a building, I would have had an emergency exit the first day of operation. It just stands to reason.*

________
*[font size="1"]oops! There's that word again!

raouldukelives

(5,178 posts)
3. Exporting the Traingle Shirtwaist Company.
Thu Nov 29, 2012, 11:54 AM
Nov 2012

It's what Wall St investors demand and they get it. To the dismay of the weakest the world over and the families drug into a future of servitude and environmental catastrophes.

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