Labour launches assault on Dfid 'aid barons' Revelations that top dozens of consultants in firms dependent on aid spending were taking home multi-million pound salary and bonus packages damaged public support for foreign aid at a time of austerity. Mr Lewis also wants to use aid spending in failing states to raise standards for workers subject to exploitation. A move by Justine Greening, the International Development Secretary, to promote programmes that seek faster economic development among the poor by bringing in the CBI is seen by Labour as inadequate in the wake of the Bangladesh factory collapse that killed 1127 people. Only firms that sign up to international labour standards will be supported by Dfid's economic programmes if Labour win in 2015. "Against the background of the recent horrendous factory tragedy in Bangladesh, they will be expected to demonstrate a proactive commitment to decent labour standards," he will say. That is why I have asked the TUC and private sector to undertake a substantive piece of work, bringing together representatives from the trade union movement and business to examine what the UK government is doing to support the creation of decent jobs by the private sector in the developing world and what steps will be necessary to ensure this becomes a key element of future UK policy. The speech also calls on the government to use next month's G8 meeting to change the focus of aid to reducing inequality from previous global goals of reducing poverty worldwide. Dfid officials however said it was already addressing concerns over its contractors, pointing out that Miss Greening was asking top firms to sign up to department's new code of conduct published earlier this year. The official also pointed out that most of the problems identified so far were with programmes awarded by Labour when it controlled the department before 2010. A Dfid source said: "Justine Greening introduced a code of conduct for suppliers several months ago, something Ivan Lewis never got around to when he was a Dfid minister."