Nine years ago, on April 24, 2013, the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed, killing 1,138 people and exposing the incredibly unsafe labour conditions for factory workers in the garment sector. Today our thoughts are with the survivors of this preventable tragedy, as well as the family members of those who died.

Approximately 1,500 workers employed at two factories – Koggala I and II - owned by Esquel Sri Lanka are facing imminent closure of their workplaces with no assurance that they will be reemployed when the factories are sold to another company.

Today, two private members’ bills were introduced in Canada’s House of Commons that, if passed, would help protect human and labour rights and the environment in Canadian companies’ global operations and supply chains.

While the Canadian government has thus far failed to address pervasive human and labour rights and environmental issues in Canadian companies’ global operations and supply chains, these two bills could help Canada ensure meaningful and effective corporate accountability: