Social accountability pressure on garment makers intensify as governments and shareholder groups step up demands

The Cambodia and Bangladesh  tragedies have provoked unprecedented calls for more social accountability among Western garment brands and retailers from an extraordinary range of sources.

They include comments  from the Pope, from shareholders representing $2.5 trillion ofinvestor funds, and the UK and US governments.http://www.clothesource.net/go/articles/western-governments-step-up-pressure-on-business-for-sourcing-standards

The calls are not just about issues related to Cambodia and Bangladesh: the International Chamber of Commerce called for greater enforcement of national laws inExport Processing Zones throughout the world with an alarming list of Zone-based crimes. But activist studies of theAlta Gracia programme cast doubt on the viability of “living wage” programmes.

The May 2013 edition of The Source, like its predecessors, doesn't just relate the last month's sourcing news. It places sourcing events into their wider context.