Ibrahim Hossain Ovi
The International Labour Organization has called for improving security and governance on labour issues to create a culture of health safety for workers in factories.
Tuomo Poutiainen, ILO Country Director for Bangladesh, came up with the call while addressing a virtual dialogue on COVID-19: Challenges for the Rana Plaza Tragedy Survivors on Thursday.
ActionAid Bangladesh organised the dialogue to reveal the findings of a survey on the survivors of the Rana Plaza disaster.
“There is a requirement to improve security and governance on labour issues, and this needs institutional change. We have to create a culture of health safety for workers in factories and the government needs to enact legislation to ensure this,” said Tuomo Poutiainen.
He called for a new way of thinking about social security during Covid-19.
Tuomo also spoke about creating new jobs by increasing investment in collaboration with the government, industry and workers.
“We have labour laws in our country. If that law is implemented properly, it is possible to gain some benefits for the workers,” said parliament member Shirin Akhter while speaking as the chief guest.
“As well as compensation, laws need to be enacted. Creating an emergency fund makes it easier to get temporary relief from dangers like the Rana Plaza tragedy,” said Shirin.
Trade unions, employers and the government can work together to create a good working environment, transparency, and accountability in the factories, the lawmaker said.
“If we can confirm all these things, we can say that we have been able to bring positive change by learning from the horrors of the Rana Plaza incident, she added.
Shirin urged trade unions leaders to negotiate with RMG owners to see if the incentive announced by the government during Covid-19 was properly allotted to the workers.
Survey findings
As many as 57 per cent of apparel workers, who sustained injuries and survived the deadliest Rana Plaza collapse, have remained unemployed amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the study findings showed.
The survey was conducted over phone on 200 survivors, of which 63 per cent were female workers.
As per the survey findings, 92 per cent of the survivors did not receive any support from the government during the ongoing pandemic.
Some of the survivors reported that they received food, health and hygiene materials support from several local groups and individuals.
As per the survey result, 43 per cent of survivors are engaged in various types of wage and self-employment, while 57 per cent are unemployed.
As of now, the physical health condition of 14 per cent of survivors is getting worse. Among them, 58.5 per cent are more or less stable, and 27.5 per cent are completely stable.
A total of 37.5 per cent of respondents reported that their household income is in between Tk 5,001 and Tk 10,300, while 29.5 per cent have a household income between Tk 10,300 and Tk 15,300.
The survey also focused on the safety issues amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
As per the findings, around 67 per cent of participants reported that the factories were maintaining the guided procedures when they enter into and stay during the working hour.
Meanwhile, economists also called for a compensation mechanism and long-term treatment facilities for survivors.
“Since the Rana Plaza collapse, there has been no positive change to the victims’ lives. Despite some financial assistance, the process of reintegration of injured workers in the formal sector has not been introduced. They have to be brought under the reintegration process,” said Khondokar Golam Moazzem, Research Director, Center for Policy Dialogue.
He called for the distribution of free health cards from the Rana Plaza Trust Fund at the upazila level to ensure the medical treatment of the injured workers, who returned to their ancestors’ place.
Moazzem also proposed the provision of health insurance for the surviving injured workers.
"It is disappointing that Bangladesh has yet to come up with an effective employment scheme although many years of Rana Plaza collapse have passed," said Werner Lange, Cluster Coordinator, Textile and Leather, GIZ.
He also emphasized on introducing Employment Injury Insurance (EII) Scheme for workers.
Rajekuzzaman Ratan, General Secretary, Somajtantrik Sramik Front said, on average, about 1,000 workers die in various accidents in Bangladesh every year. The National Social Security Project needs to be implemented to ensure security. People should not lose their lives, he said.
“Even in eight years, the condition of significant surviving workers is not satisfactory. But the workers are called the oxygen of the economy and development of the country,” said Farah Kabir, Country Director, ActionAid Bangladesh.
“We have to come out of the colonial mentality and fulfil the just demands of the workers,” she adds.
