Baptist World Aid stand-off continues

Is it ok to trivialise the lives of 100 Indian garment workers?

That is the question being asked after a call out to support a local screening of The True Cost, a documentary raising awareness of offshore production standards.

The screening, scheduled for June 3 in Sydney, will also raise funds for The Freedom Hub and the controversial Behind The Barcode project by Baptist World Aid. 

The latter has drawn the ire of industry groups and retailers over its research standards.

In promoting the event, organisers said it would draw attention to the plight of workers globally.

"Two weeks ago, Reuters reported that a garment factory in India caught fire and 100 people died," a letter to editors stated.

However, the original report made no mention of casualties and noted the workers were trapped.

While the incident highlights the need to enforce fair conditions in global supply chains, organisers did not stand down from their inaccurate claims.

When asked whether the statement trivialised workers' lives, assigning death to spotlight broader industry issues, spokesperson Michelle D'Souza did not believe so.