Staff Reporter :
At least 47 per cent of readymade garment (RMG) workers have lost their jobs and are now without any income, amid the government-enforced shutdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country, according to a survey.
Besides, 24 per cent of them are on leave with full pay, and another 11 per cent are on leave with partial pay, say respondents in a research conducted jointly by Brac James P Grant School of Public Health (JPGSPH), Brac University and Bangladesh Health Watch (BHW).
The study covered 159 people – 51 per cent male and 49 per cent female- serving in the RMG sector and was conducted between April 3 and April 15 over phone. The findings were released at an online press briefing on Saturday.
At least 35 per cent of the respondents said they had received no support, while 62 per cent got some safety measures, including masks and only 9 per cent received some economic support from their employers, including extra bonus.
The respondents said that they needed cash and food supply on an immediate basis.
Meanwhile, another multi-phase survey conducted over the phone found poor people bearing the brunt of the crisis because of income loss. The survey, reaching 1,309 individuals between April 6-13, found 58 per cent of households faced with complete loss of income, 29 per cent with partial loss and 13 per cent with no loss of income.
Similarly, 37 per cent of the households reported that they were surviving on basic staple food such as rice, lentils and potatoes.
These households – that have been forced to adopt a diet lacking in diversity – showed significantly higher levels of stress.
Cash and food support for low-income groups have to be boosted and there also remains scope for more proactive awareness and knowledge campaigns, including addressing misinformation and the issue of stigma, recommended the paper.
