One Year Of Rana Plaza Disaster
Industriall urges brands to provide compensation before anniversary
IndustriALL Bangladesh Council on Tuesday urged the global buyers and brands, who used to source products from the garment factories located in the collapsed Rana Plaza, to contribute significant amount of money to the Rana Plaza compensation trust fund before the first anniversary of the worst industrial disaster. IndustriALL, a global federation of labour unions, demanded compensation for the families of the Rana Plaza victims as per the Employment Injury Benefits Convention of the International Labour Organisation and they announced a month-long programme to press home their demand at a press conference at National Press Club in the city.
As per the standard of ILO, the organisation estimated compensation on an average Tk 57.60 lakh for each deceased worker (considering the loss of future earning years and pain and sufferings).
Roy Ramesh Chandra, secretary general of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council said that a total of US$ 40 million is needed for compensation for the families of dead and injured workers.
He demanded the government, brands, buyers, BGMEA and factory owners should ensure the amount of compensation jointly.
Ramesh announced a month-long programme to mark the first anniversary of tragic Rana Plaza collapse, which took place on April 24 last year and killed over 1,100 people, mostly garment workers.
The programmes included holding of a multi-stakeholder roundtable in the capital on April 16, formation of a human chain in front of the
Press Club on April 18 and holding a workers’ rally in front of Rana Plaza site on April 23.
Besides this, the trade unions affiliated with the IndustriALL will stage demonstration everyday to put pressure on the retailers to contribute money to the trust fund, he said.
Nazrul Islam Khan, chairman of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council demanded exemplary punishments of the owner of the building and owners of the garment factories situated in the building.
He said that a number of industrial mishaps like factory fire and building collapse occurred, but unfortunately none of those responsible for such disasters was ever brought to book.
Nazrul demanded full implementation of existing labour laws to ensure workers’ rights to form trade unions.
He urged all the brands that are doing business in Bangladesh to come forward to ensure compensation and rehabilitation of Rana Plaza victims in line with the ILO convention.
Meanwhile, Garments Sramik Sangram Parishad, a combine of the garment workers right bodies, at a rally in front of the Press Club demanded exemplary punishments of the owners of Rana Plaza, owners of the five garment factories situated in the bulling and owners of Tazreen Fashions Limited.
They also demanded more compensations for the workers affected in the accidents in the factories and publication of list of missing workers of Rana Plaza immediately.
More than 100 workers were killed at a fire in the Tazreen Fashions at Nischintapur in Savar in 2012.
Chaired by the coordinator of the combine, Shamim Imam, the rally was addressed, among others, by its leaders Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, Taslima Akhter, Rafiqul Isam Pathik, Mir Moffazal Hossain Mostak, Shabnam Hafiz and AAM Foyez.
The rally was followed by a protest march that paraded different city roads.
-With New Age input
