Declare April 24 as Garment Workers' Mourning Day
A garment workers' organisation yesterday demanded that the government announce April 24 as “Garment Workers' Mourning Day”.
The demand was made at a human chain organised by Garment Workers' Front (GWF) in front of Jatiya Press Club in the city, ahead of the fourth anniversary of Rana Plaza tragedy -- the largest factory disaster in the world till date.
On April 24, Rana Plaza, a building housing several garment factories and other businesses, crumbled down. The incident left over 1,100 workers dead and 2,500 others injured.
Garment workers in the country will observe the day with due solemnity, Ahsan Habib Bulbul, president of GWF, told The Daily Star.
Addressing the human chain, he demanded the government set Tk 48 lakh as compensation for family members of a garment worker if she or he dies on the clock.
“When the ILO dealt with the compensation issue of the Rana Plaza workers, they fixed Tk 48 lakh compensation for each [death]. So, we have been pressing the government include it [the same amount] in the labour law,” Bulbul said.
According to the report placed before the High Court in 2015 by a committee led by the then general officer commanding (GOC) of 9 Infantry Division of the Army, Tk 14,51,300 compensation was recommended for family members of each Rana Plaza victim who died, went missing or had been maimed (sustained spinal injuries and lost two or more limbs).
The committee also recommended Tk 7.5 lakh for victims who lost one limb, Tk 4.5 lakh for victims who require long-term treatment and Tk 1.5 lakh for the ones suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.
The GWF will hold rallies in Narayanganj, Gazipur and Chittagong on April 21 to press home their demands, Bulbul said, adding that they will hold another rally in front of National Press Club on April 24, marking the Rana Plaza Disaster Day.
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