About 42.2 per cent of workers injured in Rana Plaza collapse while working for ready-made garment factories in the building on April 24, 2013, is still unemployed, a survey says. The number of survivors who went back to the same profession also dwindled to 14.1 per cent from 21.4 per cent in a year, the survey by Actionaid Bangladesh titled ‘Unforgettable and Unforgivable: Rana Plaza’ revealed on Saturday. Those, who are unemployed, cited physical weakness (48.1 per cent) and mental weakness (33.4 per cent) as the main reasons for remaining unemployed. Employment rate, however, increased in the last five years though the progress is still slow. The study also disclosed that most of the survivors are not receiving free treatment as per the commitment made by the government and various organisations and the cost of treatment is much higher than it was estimated primarily. It further showed that 13.1 per cent of the respondents find themselves in deteriorating health conditions. The survey report was launched at a programme titled ‘Multilogue on No Looking Back: Post Rana Plaza’ at Brac Centre Inn in the city, marking the fourth anniversary of Rana Plaza tragedy. It is the fourth follow-up survey report on the present condition of the Rana Plaza collapse survivors and families of the deceased workers. A total of 1,135 workers died and 2,500 others were injured due to the collapse. ActionAid had conducted the survey on 1,403 injured and 607 members of the deceased families from March 12 to March 24 this year. The follow-up panel survey aims to critically examine the progress in rehabilitation and reintegration of Rana Plaza survivors and families of the deceased. In the survey, 13.1 per cent said their condition is getting worse. About 74.5 per cent of the respondents said their physical health is somewhat stable and 12.4 per cent is completely stable. About 13.1 per cent listed headache, pain in hand, leg and back pain as some of the major health problems. In terms of psychosocial health, 30.8 per cent is still in trauma. While expressing his feelings, Baki Billah, a Rana Plaza survivor, said he took a job in a factory named Talisman Bd Ltd under FCI Group at the EPZ. He was sacked after a few months without notice as he could not work properly as he has become a disabled man. Mr Baki has been bearing his treatment cost by selling his land. He said the Rana Plaza victims do not want alms; rather they want work and some kind of sympathy from employers. Another victim Nilufer Banu said she got Tk 45,000 as financial assistance but now she has no more money to run her three-member family as she has two children and her husband doesn’t support her. “I cannot work properly and now I am roaming on the street to collect money for treatment. Someone could sell land but I don’t have that too,” she said. She said they do not want Tk 5,000-Tk 10,000 financial assistance; rather they want their due compensation and treatment. Regarding attitude of various hospitals, she said the hospital authorties misbehave with them by saying Rana Plaza workers have become millionaires and no free treatment will be there for them. Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) additional research director Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem said the opportunity to institutionalise the issues of labour welfare will no more be there after one or two years. Among the various multi-party initiatives for the workers’ wellbeing, major focus should be on treatment and employment of the injured workers where there is still a huge gap. He said money was poured into the Rana Plaza Trust Fund by estimating the cost of treatment of a survivor but that was disbursed in installments which was of no use. Besides, the treatment cost has become much higher now than it was counted then. CPD findings show that on an average, a survivor needs Tk 3,500 per month for medical treatment which he/she spends from Tk 8,500 received monthly from savings. About 5.0 per cent earns less than the minimum wage of Tk 5,300; 42 per cent of the survivors has an average monthly income of Tk 5,301-Tk 10,301 and 31.6 per cent earn between Tk 10,301-Tk 15,300. Compared to families of the deceased, most survivors do not have any savings left of the financial support they received. In terms of the future plan, 41.8 per cent survivors who are currently unemployed opted to expand or start their own business and 26.2 per cent has no plans. The closure of the Rana Plaza Claims Administration may be an indicator of success in terms of completing all payments. However, the High Court’s decision on the compensation issue is yet to be announced. Some argue that the payment made so far is monetary support and not compensation in real terms.
