Several RMG trade union leaders yesterday urged the government, buyers and garment owners to ensure proper compensation to the survivors and family members of the deceased in the Rana Plaza collapse. They also demanded forming a fund with contribution from the government, buyers and the owners to bear the educational expenses of victims’ children. The union leaders made the call at separate rallies and human chains, formed by several Ready-Made Garments (RMG) federations to observe the second anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse yesterday in front of the National Press Club. National Garment Workers’ Federation President Amirul Haque Amin demanded formation of a fund to bear the educational expenses of the victims’ children as they lost their parents. He also urged the government, garment owners and buyers to take necessary measures to rehabilitate and provide treatment facilities to the survivors. Bangladesh Textile-Garment Workers’ Federation urged the government to take effective measures to ensure compensation and demanded punishment of culprits responsible for the disaster. It also urged to set a compensation standard. “Sohel Rana, owner of the Rana Plaza building, did not get punishment even after two years of the building collapse, rather he is staying in jail in luxury,” said Hazera Sultana, Member of Parliament, who took part in the rally. She also blamed Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association for not implementing the compensation package. “If the government ensured workers’ rights in the RMG sector and punished the culprits behind Tazreen Fashion Fire, the Rana Plaza incident would not have happened,” she added. “Two years have passed since the factory disaster but a good number of workers did not yet get their proper compensation, which was pledged by several quarters,” said AKM Mustafa Kamal, coordinator of Global Union UNI Bangladesh Liaison Council. He also demanded implementation of steps to ensure worker safety and compensation. Ramesh Chandra Roy, Secretary General of IndustriAll Bangladesh Council and member of the coordination committee, urged the global buyers to contribute to Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund to compensate victims. The fund so far collected $24mn and needs $6mn more to pay the full compensation. The victims of Rana Plaza have suffered enough, so no more excuses; please pay sufficient compensation as the workers have lost the ability to work in a factory, said the trade union leaders taking part in the rallies. Rana Plaza, an eight-storey building located in Savar that housed five RMG factories, collapsed on April 24, 2013 killing over 1,135 workers and injured over 2,500 people. Meanwhile, the Rana Plaza Coordination Committee has so far distributed Tk76 crore among the victims, which is 70% of the estimated compensation. Over Tk15.38 crore has been given out as compensation to 976 deceased victims’ families and Tk4.1 crore to 38 severely injured victims.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/apr/25/union-leaders-demand-proper-compensation#sthash.KnDzF60s.dpuf

Speakers at a commemoration event to mark the second Rana Plaza anniversary recognised the progress made towards creating a safer readymade garment (RMG) sector while stressing the need for further improvements to working conditions and worker rights in the industry. Continuous efforts have been made by the government and its partners over the last two years to transform our apparel industry,” said state minister for labour and employment Mujibul Haq Chunnu.Recalling the tragic garment factory collapse in Savar at a commemoration programme, Haq said the government with support from different development partners implemented a number of programmes to enhance workplace conditions and ensure safety and security of garment workers to prevent recurrence of such accidents. Ministry of Labour and Employment with support from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) organised the programme at Sonargaon Hotel on Thursday evening, attended by high government officials, diplomats, industry people and representatives of garment employees and workers. The event was supported by Canada, the Netherlands and the UK. A minute’s silence was observed at the event in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the Rana Plaza collapse on April 24, 2013.

Source: https://www.daily-sun.com/print/metropolis/2015/04/25/499880#sthash.ALk5Sjba.dpuf

The readymade garment (RMG) workers are facing severe harassments including anti-union tactics by the management at garment factories on a regular basis. The garment owners and authorities have been rejecting the applications for forming the union at the factories after the Rana Plaza tragedy. The rejection rate was 19 percent in 2013 and 31 percent in 2014. Now the alarming rate has jumped to 65 percent at the first quarter of this year. This has become a matter of concern for the RMG workers of our country at the moment. One of the international rights groups, Human Right Watch (HRW), shared this information at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) on Wednesday about the garment workers living and anti-union tactics by employers including assaults on union organisers.Several efforts have been taken to make the factories of Bangladesh safer after the catastrophic Rana Plaza collapse. The fatal accident took place on April 24 in 2013 claiming over 1100 workers’ life, the New York-based rights organisation said.According to the HRW, The government and western retailers should come forward to enforce and maintain international labour standards to ensure workers’ rights including rights to form unions.Deputy Director of HRW Asia Phil Robertson said, “If Bangladesh wants to avoid further disasters like Rana Plaza it needs to enforce a standard labour law and ensure the rights of garment workers.””The RMG workers should enjoy the right to raise their voice against any injustice. Moreover, safety measures and friendly working conditions should be settled for the workers so that they can work without fear of retaliation or dismissal,” he added.”If Bangladesh government does not take any actions against the factory managers who attack workers and deny the right to form unions, then it will be an example of perpetuate practices which may cost the lives of many workers,” Robertson said.The spokespersons of HRW mentioned the cruelty of the garment authority to the workers. They criticized the managers’ role in recent major accidents in RMG sector. At Rana Plaza, factory managers compelled reluctant workers to enter the building despite major cracks in the complex’s walls. At the Tazreen Fashion’s factory, managers refused to let workers escape even after the fire alarms went off. Earlier on November 24 in 2012, a devastating fire broke out at Tazreen Fashion and killed at least 112 workers, they added.

Source: https://www.observerbd.com/2015/04/23/85115.php

Garment workers in Bangladesh work in poor conditions and face anti-union tactical tussle with the employers including assault on union organisers, Human Rights Watch in its report said yesterday. The HRW called on Bangladesh government, factory owners and western retailers to ensure respect for workers’ rights and end unlawful target of labour leaders by factory owners and supervisors. The report said efforts are underway to make Bangladesh factories safer, but the government and western retailers should do more to enforce international labour standard to protect workers’ rights, including the one to form unions, and advocate for better working condition. “If Bangladesh wants to avoid another Rana Plaza, it needs to effectively enforce labour law and ensure that garment workers enjoy their rights and voice their concerns about safety and working conditions without any fear of retaliation or dismissal,” said Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director of HRW. “If Bangladesh does not hold factory managers accountable who attack the workers and refuse their right to form unions, the government will perpetuate practices that have already cost the lives of thousands of workers.” The report titled “Whoever Raises their Head Suffers the Most”: Workers’ Rights in Bangladesh’s Garment Factories,” is based on interviews with more than 160 workers from 44 factories. According to the report, there are a series of violations including physical assault, verbal abuse – sometimes of a sexual nature – forced overtime, denial of paid maternity leave, failure to pay wages and bonuses on time or in full. Many workers who try to form unions to address such abuses face threats, intimidation, dismissal, and sometimes physical assault at the hands of factory management or hired third parties, added the report. Union leaders told Human Rights Watch that they continue to be targeted by factory management, risking abuse by both managers and supervisors, or thugs acting at their behest. A union leader at a factory in Gazipur said when she and others tried to set up a union in January 2014, they were brutally assaulted and scores of workers were fired. A Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) official told Human Rights Watch: “We have a bitter experience about unions. They believe they don’t need to work and they will get paid.” But a Chittagong garment worker, Mitu Dtta, ran counter to what the BGMEA official said. He said: “Four people were holding me and beating me in the legs with bars and two were beating my wife with iron bars.” She had to get 14 stitches on her head, Mitu said, adding that when they were beating up Mira, they were saying, “You want to do union activities, right? and then we will shower you with blood.” In our factory, 80% of workers are female and they will get pregnant but the managers are not doing anything about maternity leave and bonuses, described Mitu. “When we protested against the injustice, our supervisors used to hurl slang at us, saying, if you are all concentrating on getting pregnant, why are you working here? Go and work in a brothel,” a female worker at a Dhaka-based factory said, seeking anonymity. The Bangladesh government and retailers need to ensure that factory owners and management start respecting workers’ rights, and the government must hold accountable those who abuse labor rights, Robertson suggested. The Bangladesh government should carry out effective and impartial investigations into all workers’ allegations of mistreatment, including beatings, threats and abuses, and prosecute those responsible, he said.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/2015/apr/23/rmg-workers-still-denied-rights#sthash.DlzoF7YJ.dpuf

Government does not have clear data about the Rana Plaza victims even in two years since the accident, said speakers at a roundtable yesterday. “It was government’s responsibility to prepare statistics over the victims that how many workers were injured, how many were dead and how many remained unidentified,” said Kazi Saifuddin Ahmed, labour adviser of Bangladesh Employers Federation. He blamed the government for “chaos over compensation issue” that there were confusions that who have been compensated and who have not been. The roundtable discussion on “Present Situation of Rana Plaza Victims, Compensation and Rehabilitation” was organised by Bagladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE) in the capital. In which criteria the amount of compensation is being set and who will be entitled to get how much that is not clear to the affected workers and their families, he said. He said, mass mismanagement has created which resulted in some workers getting compensation though they do not deserve it on the other hand who are entitled but not getting following their right. He urged the government to prepare a clear data over the workers who have been compensated and how much through a study. Some affected victims of Rana Plza and their families were present at the function and shared their views over the compensation. Of the victims Shafiqul Islam who remained stuck up in the collapsed building one day said he was compensated only Tk60,000 in two phases in last two years. He could not join in work as he physical condition does not permit to heavy weight work. He, however, still bearing lesion in his body but could not continue the treatment due to not have affordability. He raised question that in which criteria he has been entitled to get the poor compensation that was even to enough for his treatment. On the other hand, Mehera Begum who lost her son Babu Miah in the Rana Plaza disaster received compensation of only Tk50,000 in two years. She, however, got a letter from Rana Plaza claims administration where she has been entitled to get Tk4 lakh. But still she did not get the compensation amount. The trade union leaders urged to form a committee a tri-partial committee consisting minimum one members on behalf of workers, owners and government to prepare a clear data over the compensation. Kazi Reazaul Haque, a full-time member of National Human Rights Commission, was present as the chief guest.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/2015/apr/23/government-has-no-clear-data-rana-plaza-victims#sthash.7Snvp6Hp.dpuf

When the ILO country director in Bangladesh tells us that Bangladesh has made significant progress towards ensuring workplace safety and protecting jobs, we have every reason to believe him. When Accord and Alliance don’t find many of our factories on the dock or failing their scrutiny, we should be happy about that. When the ILO’s regional director tells us Bangladesh has to do a lot in order to ensure sustainable worker safety, and more importantly, protect and increase jobs, we agree to focus on productivity improvement and moving the entire value chain upward. The BGMEA president feels that a small factory with 500-600 workers needs half a million dollars to relocate, create better working conditions in its factory premises, and build 3,200 factories large and small — it will require a much larger amount than that. On the other hand, we still hear that many Rana Plaza victims never received their compensations, and even the money received in the prime minister’s relief fund for supporting Rana Plaza victims still remains terribly underutilised. According to reports, the buyers’ consortium are also running short of their committed contribution. We have heard that the main challenge for Bangladesh’s garments sector is price. After the fire incident at Tazreen Fashions and the Rana Plaza building collapse, the cost of production has increased significantly, but retailers do not pay higher prices for apparel items. Although Accord and Alliance have already inspected most of the factories, they did not approach any retailers to increase the volume of work orders from factories housed in shared buildings. Buyers’ representatives identified five specific challenges to the sector: Finance to remedy the factory buildings, safety in the factories that are not under the purview of Accord and Alliance’s inspection, relocation of factories from Dhaka to other places, a policy for sub-contracts, and the departure of Accord and Alliance after 2018 — manufacturers were concerned whether the workplace safety programs would continue after the departure of these agencies after June 2018. I have heard the ILO country director saying a mechanism should be adopted by the government, BGMEA, and BKMEA to take the responsibility of monitoring factory buildings after the departure of agencies like Alliance and Accord. Many within development partners feel that since the Bangladesh labour law has been amended, it should be put to action soon. Why has nobody questioned whether the infrastructure bottlenecks or high bank interest rates could be the only things responsible for non-optimal growth of apparel industries? Courtesy of the Rana Plaza episode, Bangladesh apparel workers have seen a sharp rise in their wages. It has become almost on-par with India. Despite many industrie being suspended by the biggies to either work as their vendors or have sub-contracting stopped, prices have not seen any significant rise. Many industries are not able to finance shifts from a shared building or purchasing new firefighting or disaster management equipment. Though productivity has been identified as the single most important issue, most of the industries could not invest enough on worker training or the replacement of outdated machinery. Despite much hue and cry, development partners and buyer syndicates were unable to come up with any notable “bailout” packages. The suspension of the GSP, possible facility curtailment by the EU, offering better facilities to competing countries, delays in the establishment of industrial clusters or special economic zones, and emerging competition from India and Vietnam are also being discussed as possible barriers to the RMG sector’s growth. Some are talking of shifting orders to Kenya, Ethiopia, or even the possible rise of Myanmar. I would put price and productivity as the critical success factors for Bangladesh’s apparel industry. Solutions to both warrant coordinated efforts from industry owners, commerce and labour ministries, governments of buying countries, buyer syndicates, and development partners. Only productivity improvement and scale-up can help divert many orders from Vietnam and China. Optimum price from the buying companies can also help with investing enough on worker training and the development of supervisors. Proper water usage, reduced accidental losses, and competitive financing packages can ensure better spreads or savings, contributing much to the entrepreneur’s ability to recycle or reinvest profits. The industry has to be process-driven rather than owner-driven. Average or ad-hoc solutions seem to still haunt our apparel sector. Should we allow our RMG sector to grow further, where there are multiple challenges faced by this industry? Or we should instead give impetus to our textile sector or other exporting entities? I would say there is still enough head-room for our RMG industry to grow. A shift to better quality clothes, better design, and improved productivity and workplaces can fetch better prices, create more employment, accelerate poverty reduction, and create a large pool of people with higher purchasing power to buy more locally-produced goods and services — giving further impetus to local industries. It is high time we focused on worker responsibilities and obligations along with workers’ rights and, more importantly, protect each worker through accident coverage insurance.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/op-ed/2015/apr/23/how-much-have-we-learned-rana-plaza#sthash.nFvPXHaX.dpuf

We are concerned by a continuing shortfall in donations to the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund, which is some 30% short of its $30m target to deliver necessary compensation and medical care to survivors and bereaved family members. The ILO chaired fund was set up by the Rana Plaza Arrangement backed by leading brands and the government, to enable support to be provided for victims in line with the standards required by ILO Convention 121, without getting delayed by legal disputes. Although it has made commendable progress in working towards this aim, it is still $8.5m short of its proposed target. We hope that the spotlight drawn by the second anniversary of the disaster will encourage more brands to come forward to top up the deficit. The government can also help by coordinating and speeding up disribution of unused monies collected in the prime minister’s fund for Rana Plaza victims. The amounts being sought by the Arrangement represent a tiny percentage of the profits earned by brands involved in sourcing from Rana Plaza. It would be in everyone’s interests for the shortfall to be removed straightaway so that the Arrangement can fulfill its commitment and alleviate concerns being expressed by many of the victims who are in dire need of help. Otherwise, the prime benefit to all stakeholders in forming the Arrangement will be undermined. Industry associations should take a lead in working with brands, campaign groups, government and workers representatives to ensure more funds become available and are effectively distributed.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/editorial/2015/apr/23/brands-should-top-rana-plaza-fund#sthash.BpxiygrA.dpuf

Daniel Seidl, Nazma Akter, Hubert Weiger, Thomas Picard, Markus Guinea, Jan Eggert and Susanne Dorasil pose for photograph at the 11th German CSR Forum that ended at Stuttgart in Germany on Tuesday. Speaking about the Bangladesh RGM sector supply chain, speakers at a discussion at Stuttgart in Germany suggested that not only the policy, it is also required to improve the standards in the supply chain. They were speaking at the 11th German CSR Forum, the leading forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Germany, that ended at Stuttgart on Tuesday. The two-day forum, with the theme: “Without CSR no business success?” included two events – the “CSR and Human Resources Summit” and the “First Academic CSR Summit”. More than 800 participants from private sectors, government, and non-government organisations, universities participated at the forum. Speaking at the event, Daniel Seidl, Executive Director from the Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce added: “The buyers need to source in an ethical way and pay reasonable prices, factory owners need to strengthen their middle management and think about compliance.” “CSR requires a responsible mind-set at all levels. Politicians have to give the framework and enforce law, HR and environment and finally customers in Germany need to be educated,” he added.

Source: https://www.daily-sun.com/print/business/2015/04/23/499481#sthash.Cdbk9KKe.dpuf

The foreign investors are eying extensively to invest at the proposed economic zones (EZs) in Bangladesh, showing a ray of hope of huge foreign direct investment in the country. Japanese investors are now eying widely to invest in establishing economic zones in Bangladesh. The country, though primarily approached for establishing only single economic zone, is now interested to establish three more economic zones in Bangladesh, according to BEZA sources. JICA on behalf of the government of Japan has primarily working to establish economic zones in Sreepur, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Narsinghdi, it was learnt. The interest of the Japanese investors was revealed at a seminar titled Programme for Capacity Enhancement of BEZA held at BEZA office in the capital on Thursday. A Japanese delegation member participated at the event said that the Japanese investors are interested to invest in Bangladesh like that in Viet Nam where they are doing business for several decades. The seminar participated by the consultants of renowned Japanese companies, JICA and BEZA officials was arranged by JICA as part of its agreement with BEZA in this regard. After the attention of the governments of Japan and China was drawn to establish economic zones under Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), neighboring India has joined in the queue to set up economic zone in Bangladesh. It was learnt that BEZA is interested to facilitate the Indian investors for establishing an economic zones here and India also showed its interest in this regard. Involvement of the foreign investors in the country’s economic zones will help Bangladesh fetch large amount of FDI that will ultimately generate employment for a large number of people, said Paban Chowdhury, Executive Chairman of BEZA. He informed the governments of Japan and China have come forward in establishing economic zones in Bangladesh while Indian investors have also expressed their interests to be involved in developing economic zones here. By the year 2030, a total of 100 special economic zones will be established which will help diversifying products, catching foreign direct investment up to desired level and enhance employment for the local people. Of the 100 zones, the government in the mean time has gave approval for establishing 22 economic zones. BEZA sources said that it has reached agreements with the governments of China and Japan on establishing economic zones in Bangladesh. It was learnt that China and Japan have already started assessing the feasibility on economic zones to find suitable locations. Meanwhile, Indian investors expressed interest to come forward to establish economic zone in Bangladesh. It was learnt that a non-government organization started assessing the feasibility on it. BEZA Executive Chairman said that they have started primary study by appointing a non-government organization. BEZA sources said that it was set to one economic zone to each of Japan and China. But later the demand for several economic zones has been raised by the governments of the respective countries. The government of China is now approaching to establish another economic zone for its state-owned company. Establishing an economic zone by India was disclosed at a seminar participated by BEZA and members of the India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry held recently, said Mohammad Ali, President of IBCCI. Lauding the initiatives, Ali said that the local investors can also invest here and the government of Bangladesh should come forward to facilitate the investors by providing infrastructural facilities. Paban Chowdhury said that Japan will come here with huge investment and it will be implemented within few years.

Source: https://www.daily-sun.com/print/business/2015/04/23/499479#sthash.fQ97u0tg.dpuf

Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, speaks at a discussion meeting, held ahead of the second anniversary of Rana Plaza Tragedy, at BRAC Centre Inn in Dhaka on Wednesday. Two years after the tragic Rana Plaza disaster, a rather gloomy picture of the victims in terms of economic, physical and mental condition was found in an ActionAid Bangladesh research survey. The survey report shows that 55 percent survivors are still unemployed, while 44 percent survivors got engaged in various types of jobs. Currently 54.4 percent respondents are facing difficulties to meet their daily needs while 2 percent cannot meet their daily needs at all. It showed that 61.2 percent of the disaster survivors still need to visit doctors on regular basis, 59.1 percent of them are still suffering from depression and trauma. This suggests that physical wounds may have healed in the two years, but the trauma and shock from the incident is harder to recover from, observed the survey revealed on Wednesday in the city in a multi-logue just before the second anniversary of Rana Plaza Tragedy on April 24. Stakeholders from the government, local and international NGOs, garment owners, buyers, and researchers were present at the event held at BRAC Centre Inn. ActoinAid Bangladesh conducted the survey on 1,414 survivors including 915 women and 499 men. Of the 1414 survivors, 70.6 percent responded that they are somewhat healed, while 22.6 percent reported that their condition is getting worse. “The situation of survivors is worse. The survivors don’t go to work. Physically they are in bad situation,” Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said. “We should take the responsibility to help them go on with their lives. Government, garment factory owners, other partners should work together,” she added. Compensation issue dominated the event after the survivors, present in the multi-logue, claimed that they did not get proper compensation. The survey shows, in last one-and-a-half year, Rana Plaza Donor Trust Fund was set up to ensure compensation for the affected people with a preliminary target of USD 40 million, which was later fixed at USD 30 million. As of April 9, 2015, in cash and kind PM’s relief fund provided Tk 22,93,58,720 out of Tk 127 crore, the report said, citing Press Wing of PMO sources. Altogether US$ 21.5 million was supposed to be disbursed, but there is still a deficit of $8.5 million. Dr. Mojtaba Kazazi, Executive Commissioner-Rana Plaza Coordination Committee, said, “We have received many letters for compensation than the actual figure received. So it takes times. The compensation depends on the loss and damage of the survivors.” Ishrafil Alam, Member, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Labor and Employment, said, “Compensation is an endless debate. After the Rana Plaza collapse, many parties wanted to give money. But we don’t get enough”. “Incidents can happen. But it should not continue. Victims are not getting the justice. It needs to be addressed. We want industrialization. But we don’t want our industrialization by death like Rana Plaza,” Alam added. Vice-president of BGMEA Md Shahidullah Azim said, “We have been working closely with factory owners and other stakeholders to ensure security of workers. We don’t want any repetition of Rana Plaza.” “To improve the situation of survivors and garment industry of Bangladesh, the most important factor is ensuring accountability. The government, owners and buyers should work together,” said Tuomo Poutiainen, Programme Manager of ILO Bangladesh. Amanur Rahman, Deputy Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, presented the survey findings that suggest a number of initiatives including realisation and delivery of full compensation is required to address the mid-term and long-term needs, and further health and livelihood support to the survivors required to resume normal life and work. Formation of a high level multi-stakeholder coordination mechanism including GO, NGO, trade union, brand, manufacturer and development partners was also suggested to oversee the national labour regulations and compliance auditing.

Source: https://www.daily-sun.com/print/business/2015/04/23/499478