IndustriALL Global Union and Uni Global Union urged Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, to sign the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry.

The global labor rights platforms, in a statement released on Thursday, emphasized that since its establishment in response to the tragic loss of over 1,100 garment workers’ lives in the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh on April 24, 2013, the International Accord has served as a symbol of advancement. It has brought together unions, brands, and suppliers in a shared commitment to enhancing workplace safety.

It said 30 out of 33 of Amazon’s suppliers, textile and garment factories in Bangladesh and Pakistan, are covered by the Accord’s stringent safety standards.

Yet, Amazon refuses to commit to financially support the implementation of these standards, instead freeloading off the Accord’s protections while other brands shoulder the responsibility for workers’ safety.

Describing Amazon’s refusal to sign the Accord as unacceptable, UNI Global Union and IndustriALL leaders Christy Hoffman and Atle Høie have penned a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, urging him to promptly sign the Accord.

The statement said that Accord has conducted over 56,000 independent safety inspections, leading to the resolution of 140,000 safety issues, and the training of 2 million workers in health and safety protocols

The Accord has become a lifeline for factory workers. Over 200 brands have committed, securing safer futures for millions in Bangladesh, with Pakistan now benefiting from its life-saving initiatives, the statement read.