Govt yet to act on rising death incidence of workers abroad

At least 8,107 expatriate workers died in 5 yrs
The government is yet to act on the alarming rise in the incidence of premature deaths of expatriate Bangladeshi wage earners due to stress, on-the-job accidents and maltreatment on foreign soil.
At least 8,107 Bangladeshi workers died in a number of countries, especially in the oil-rich Middle East, between January 2004 and May 2009, according to official statistics.
The government recorded a total of 2,098 death cases of workers in 2008, 1,673 in 2007, 1,402 in 2006, 1,248 in 2005 and 788 in 2004.
As many as 834 expatriates, including 32 women, died in the first four months of 2009 alone, shows data provided by IMA Research Foundation, a rights group working for migrant workers, terming such trends alarming in view of the age of the workers who died between 30 and 45 years.
‘It is not a big figure considering the huge workers numbering, say, around 50 lakh to 60 lakh scattered in different destinations of manpower export,’ a high official of the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry said seeking anonymity, when his attention was drawn to the issue.
The country, in 2007-08 fiscal, earned remittances worth about US$8 billion, the highest foreign exchange earning in terms of hundred per cent retention value.
Among those who died this year, 362 workers died of cardiac failure and 251 of occupational accidents, said IMA Research Foundation hinting at the stress suffered by workers and negligence on the part of both recipient and sending authorities.
‘Our government should act promptly in addressing the healthcare problems of those who earn remittance for the nation. We export human beings, not commodities. So, the government must ensure that no expatriate worker returns home as a corpse.’ Tasneem Siddiqui, a researcher with the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit, told New Age on Sunday.
Dwelling on the causes of such deaths, she pointed out that the Bangladeshi workers in most cases had not been provided with adequate access to healthcare facilities despite such pledges made by the overseas employers. Physical and mental stresses resulted from job insecurity, poor lifestyle and limited access to healthcare and that is responsible for such premature deaths.
Elias Ahmed, secretary in-charge of the overseas employment ministry, told New Age on Sunday that his ministry in the past week brought certain changes in pre-departure briefing of jobseekers.
‘We have decided to brief workers immediately after their selection process is completed in place of present culture of pre-departure briefing immediately before leaving home,’ he said.
The ministry officials said that according to the new practice the workers will be briefed immediately after their selection process is completed, giving them some idea about weather, culture, life style, food habit, health coverage as well as other relevant information on the receiving countries.
‘Usually our workers are often deprived of their basic rights in terms of better wages and congenial working conditions. They are compelled to eat cheap food for saving money, inviting health hazards for themselves,’ said an official concerned.
About many deaths from cardiac failure at early age, the official explained that most of them had become habituated to taking non-vegetable food in the Gulf countries where red meat is cheaper than vegetables.
Another official of the overseas employment ministry said the government had helped the families of the victims in various ways — burials, collection of compensation from the overseas employers or governments and supports from the government’s wage earners welfare fund.
The official said the government had collected Tk 15.50 crore in 2008 and Tk 11.50 crore in 2007 as compensation from different countries.
‘We can realise compensation money from overseas employers if and when Bangladeshis are employed through legal procedures.  In that case local labour courts can ask the employers to pay compensation to the nominees of the workers,’ said the official.

Courtesy of NewAgebd