Thirty-five per cent of the readymade garment factories in the country lack first aid facility and required equipment for the purpose, according to a recent survey conducted by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments. The survey conducted in 643 apparel factories in the January-March period found that 67 per cent of the factories did not serve accident-related notice while 46 per cent of them did not maintain safety record books and safety boards. A labour rights activist said that the government survey proved that the existing labour law was not effective in the garment sector and in reality workers remained hapless. ‘A large number of workers has been deprived of health care support in their workplace as the government survey stated that there was no first aid facility in 35 per cent of garment factories,’ Roy Ramesh Chandra, secretary general of industriAll Bangladesh Council, told New Age. The survey report reflected the level of implementation of the existing law and improvement of the workers’ rights in the garment sector, he said. ‘Now, the government should take responsibility of implementing the labour law in the industrial sector as it is proved that factory owners are not respectful to laws,’ Ramesh said. According to the survey report, 356 of the 643 factories surveyed are affiliated with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, 129 are members of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association and 158 are not affiliated with any trade body. As per the labour act, first aid appliances and facilities are mandatory for every establishment with the contents prescribed by rules and in every establishment wherein three hundred or more workers are ordinarily employed, there must be provided and maintained a sick room with dispensary of the prescribed size. The BGMEA, however, differed with the DIFE survey and said there were first aid facilities in more than 80 per cent of their member factories while the DIFE found the facilities in 70 per cent of the BGMEA member factories. BGMEA vice-president Sahidullah Azim claimed that the report of the trade body was authentic and he did not agree with the findings of the government survey. The DIFE survey found that 31 per cent of the surveyed factories did not comply with the provision of maternity leave and allowance stipulated in the labour act. According to the survey, 55 per cent of the factories have no participation committee while 44 per cent have no safety committee. Syed Ahmed, inspector general of the DIFE, said that the factories remained under monitoring and the department would take legal action against the factories which would fail to ensure compliance.
Source: https://newagebd.net/120489/no-first-aid-facility-in-35pc-of-rmg-units/#sthash.I3AS8zEf.dpuf
