Gap Does More? Hardly...

The blowback from the Rana Plaza collapse rumbles on, as many Western retailers implicated in the disaster continue to hold out on paying their rightful dues to the families of the victims. Prmary amongst these are Gap and Walmart, who have been sending up smokescreens, announcing their own unaccountable compensation scheme, and generally acting like corporate vampires.

Many observers were surprised and delighted, then, when www.GapDoesMore.com emerged this week, apparantly signalling a u-turn in the company's attitude. Convincingly branded and designed, it announced that Gap would be joining the Accord on Fire And Building Safety in Bangladesh and paying compensation to the victims of a fire at the Aswad Composite Mills late last year. The website seemed to show Gap had turned a corner, and were ready to man up to their responsibilities.

It was, of course, too good to be true. Gap's Communications Officer issued a statement denouncing the site as a convincing fake. On Tuesday, activist group 18 Million Rising came forward as the instigators of the GapDoesMore.com, saying:

“This is not about a hoax on the company. It’s about justice for the workers who make the company possible.”

The spoof site has shown just how vulnerable a position Gap has backed itself into. Few observers consider their efforts to distance themselves from the Rana Plaza disaster or their further attempts to set up competing compensation schemes as the actions of a company with any sense of social responsibilty. Although sadly no longer active, GapDoesMore.com shows just how little they're actually doing.