RMG workers to get Tk 5 lakh for accidental death
New programme launched to enhance industrial relations in RMG
Staff Reporter
Apparel workers who will face unnatural death at workplaces would get at least Tk 5 lakh as compensation from next January, State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque said at the launching ceremony of a project on industrial relations in the capital yesterday.
He added of the amount, concerned insurance companies would pay Tk 2 lakh while the rest Tk 3 lakh would be provided from a workers welfare fund, developed by the RMG entrepreneurs and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
The Promoting Social Dialogue and Harmonious Industrial Relations in the Bangladesh Ready-Made Garment Industry project aims at improving workplace relations in the ready-made garment sector by enhancing dialogue between the government, employers and workers, he informed.
Haque also added that Denmark and Sweden will fund the project aiming at facilitating social dialogue with particular focus on collective bargaining, dispute prevention and resolution and arbitration with special importance to the women workers.
The announcement came as the state minister was addressing the launching of the project on Promoting Social Dialogue and Harmonious Industrial Relations in Bangladesh Ready-Made Garment (RMG) Industry.
ILO Director General Guy Ryder spoke as the special guest while Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar gave the welcome address.
ILO seeks to make the worlds factories and workplaces safe and decent places to work, Ryder said. The ILO chief added that the project was launched as Bangladesh made much progress in recent years in terms of workers welfare while the new initiative would contribute towards improved working conditions and labour rights in the garment sector, in line with relevant international labour standards.
ILOs Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Ms Tomoko Nishimoto gave the opening remarks at the function.
Speaking at the launch Ambassador Johan Frisell, Embassy of Sweden in Dhaka, said, This programme shows how the Global Deal initiative can translate into concrete action at country level. Functioning social dialogue means both ensuring labour rights and securing long-term business.
Danish Undersecretary for Centre for Global Development and Cooperation Morten Jespersen said, This project epitomises Denmarks commitment to shared growth in Bangladesh and it will further constructive partnership between government, employers and workers through social dialogue. The project will be initially be piloted in the RMG sector, with gradual scaling up within the sector. However, the impact of the project and particularly that of the dispute resolution mechanism will cover all other sectors.
Through the project, improved dialogue will be fostered between trade unions and employers in at least 150 unionised enterprises. This will be achieved by developing social dialogue skills and expertise of both managers and union representatives.
Workplace cooperation mechanisms and capacity of unions and employers will also be boosted in 350 non-unionised factories, while practical grievance handling procedures will be developed in each of the 500 participating factories.
The project will take place with the full commitment and participation of the Department of Labour (DoL), Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE); Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF), Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), National Coordination Committee for Workers Education (NCCWE) and the IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC).
