Dhaka tragedy puts brands on defensive Tears: A woman cries for her missing husband, believed to be trapped in the rubble of the building that collapsed. Australian clothing companies with suppliers in Bangladesh have been asked to declare their interests in the country following last week's garment factory collapse, which killed at least 427 people. Oxfam Australia said it was calling on Australian retailers Big W, Cotton On, Kmart, Target, and Pacific Brands to "immediately release" the locations of their factories in Bangladesh so that conditions for workers could be independently assessed. Oxfam's labour rights co-ordinator Daisy Gardener said company assurances that codes of practice were being followed were not sufficient. These big brands are operating behind a veil of secrecy. As factory conditions are kept secret, there is no way of independently verifying that people are working in safe and decent conditions," she said. Sweatshop conditions were the norm, rather than the exception, across Asia, Ms Gardener said. Textile Union National Secretary Michele O'Neil wrote that consumers should demand companies be transparent about all their operations. Check the websites of your favourite brands - if they don't fully disclose their supply chain and suppliers there's a reason. Demand they release the information. In the wake of last week's collapse, Big W declined to reveal publically the details of its suppliers in Bangladesh "due to the commercial nature of our contracts," but said it would be willing to meet with Oxfam to discuss its work practices. Earlier, Australian companies released statements saying they did not have clothes made in the building which collapsed. Target said its code required "compliance to proper working conditions, fair pay and labour standards." Workers' conditions in Bangladesh's massive, poorly regulated garment industry are regarded as some of the worst in the world. Most of the 4 million garment factory employees in the country's 5000 factories work more than 12 hours a day, six days a week, often for a monthly salary of about $37. They sit at sewing machines in overcrowded, dimly lit and poorly ventilated factories. There are no holidays, sick leave, or parental allowances. Children are often found working, illegally, on factory floors. Many buildings, like the eight-storey one that collapsed, are constructed illegally. Fires and factory collapses have killed more than 1100 workers over the past decade. Up to 3500 people were inside Rana Plaza when it collapsed last Wednesday morning. The building had been evacuated the day before when cracks appeared in the walls, but the building's owner and factory managers forced workers back inside. It is known that 2437 escaped alive. The death toll is now at 427. Rescue workers have all but given up hope of finding anyone alive inside, bringing in heavy earth-moving equipment to move the rubble. The European Union has threatened trade sanctions against Bangladesh over its labour conditions.