Apparel factory fire in Prato, Italy

An article in the New York Times titled “Deadly Factory Fire Bares Racial Tensions in Italy” (December 8, 2013), describes a fire at an apparel factory in Prato that killed seven Chinese employees. The factory had windows that were blocked by bars and no emergency exits. But reports suggest that Italian companies often use Chinese run factories to reduce costs. Should the local buyers, who contract with these manufacturers that violate or ignore local laws to reduce costs, be held responsible for such operating conditions ? Should greater enforcement, even at the cost of reducing incomes for commercial property owners compensating for a shrinking local apparel industry, be demanded ? Will the survival of the Italian apparel supply chain, albeit run such that costs are lower, be the future for Prato ?