Outsourcing and the Dhaka Disaster
BY BRYAN WALSH
The collapse of a textile-factory building near Dhaka, Bangladesh, on April 24, which killed at least 400 people, is almost certainly the worst accident in the history of the global garment industry. But it's hardly the only one--especially in Bangladesh, which has capitalized on its ultra-low-cost labor force to build a $19 billion export industry. Just last November, a fire at another textile factory in Dhaka killed over 100 people--and was barely felt by the global clothing industry.
Will this time be any different? Bangladeshi workers hit the streets in force after the...