Statement by acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris on building collapse in Bangladesh

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris today issued the following statement regarding Wednesday's deadly building collapse in Bangladesh:

"Yesterday, well over 200 people, many of them young garment workers, lost their lives in the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in the Savar section of Dhaka, Bangladesh. I join U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan M. Mozena in offering my condolences to the victims, their families and the people of Bangladesh.

"This occurred five months after the tragic Tazreen Fashion factory fire. Tragically, the Rana Plaza collapse is a horrific reminder of just how much remains to be done in Bangladesh on building and fire code enforcement. The U.S. Department of Labor is actively working on a technical assistance proposal to help the Government of Bangladesh and workers' organizations address these issues. We must all – government, business and worker advocates – work urgently to help prevent such tragedies in the future."