A group of 17
US retailers, including Wal-Mart and Gap, have agreed a five-year pact to
improve conditions at clothing factories in Bangladesh.
It follows the deaths of 1,129 workers in a building collapse in April and another 112 in a fire in November.
It includes loans to help factories improve safety and inspections of all factories within a year.
There were reports that some US firms were against joining this other, legally-binding, accord because they feared it could expose them to unlimited liabilities.
In a statement, the US firms said: "The safety record of Bangladesh factories is unacceptable and requires our collective effort.
Earlier this year, the US Labor Department gave Bangladesh $2.5m to ensure workers were better protected.
There are more than 4,500 clothing factories in Bangladesh, employing more than 3.5 million people, the majority of them women.
The garment industry makes up 80% of the country's exports.
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