WASHINGTON — A consortium of North American fashion brands announced the full or partial closure of seven factories in Bangladesh while safety concerns are remediated, The Toronto Star reports. The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety – whose 26 members include retailers such as Canadian Tire, Target, HBC, and Wal-Mart – made the call following a series of inspections implemented after more than 1,000 workers died when Rana Plaza factory collapsed last year. The alliance will compensate workers for up to four months of wages if they are unable to work during construction, which it encouraged factory owners to undertake by offering $100 million in low-interest loans toward the costs.
