Finally, jobless workers will get the European Union (EU) financial support from next month. The European Union (EU) has sanctioned a €93-million grant for one million Bangladeshi export readymade garment, leather goods and footwear workers who have either been laid off or will permanently lose their jobs because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The employers will provide jobless workers data to the EU team by the first half of next month, according to a meeting decision on Wednesday. An 11 members committee including EU’s Bangladesh officials and employers on the execution of social safety net activities on export readymade garment, leather goods and footwear workers made this decision on Wednesday. A.K.M. Mizanur Rahman, Director General of the Directorate of Labour presided the meeting at Sromo Bhaban. After that meeting, BKMEA director Fazlee Shamim Ehsan told the Business Standard “As per discussions, employers have agreed to share the workers’ database with the EU team to identify those losing their jobs through an EU prescribed form within December 10.” After that, they will check this information and hopefully workers will get this financial assistance from December 24, he added. As per meeting decision, those workers are being jobless from those export-oriented industries from September, they will get this financial assistant initially for three months September onward, he added. Those workers are already shifted to another trade they also enjoy this financial support, said Ehsan, also CEO of Fatullah Apparels ltd. The European Union (EU) has sanctioned a €93-million grant for one million Bangladeshi export readymade garment, leather goods and footwear workers who have either been laid off or will permanently lose their jobs because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Alongside a €20 million grant from Germany also sanctioned a €93-million grant for those workers. The meeting is didn’t take any decision over the German assistance, that may be decided within the next week, informed Ehsan. Earlier, each of the 10 lakh workers will get cash support of Tk3,000 for three months in the first phase – from June to August – when export orders in Bangladeshi factories might fall further due to a demand shrinkage in western markets. The grant is likely to be extended for a second three-month phase afterwards. In April, the EU announced a €5 million cash support to garment workers in Myanmar.
