Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Most of the foreign buyers who committed to contribute to the Rana Plaza “Donor Trust Fund” are yet to come up with their donation although the tragic industrial incident is going to mark the first anniversary on 24th of this month.
Rana Plaza, an eight-storied commercial building in Savar, housed a number of separate garment factories employing around 5,000 workers, several shops, and a bank when it collapsed on April 24, 2013.
A total of 28 clothing brands and retailers sourcing from Rana Plaza factories were assured to donate into the Trust Fund by 24 April. The factories manufactured apparel for brands, including Benetton, Bonmarché, the Children’s Place, El Corte Inglés, Joe Fresh, Mango, Matalan, Primark and Walmart.
Sources said, the buyers assured to give $ 4.0 crore after the collapse of Rana Plaza to compensate the families of 1,129 dead and 2,515 injured workers. But until March this year they were contributed only $80,000 to the fund.
Frustrated by the buyers’ delay in participating the fund, labour leaders said yesterday that the they are taking time to provide their committed fund ultimately hampering the rehabilitation of the victim families and the injured workers.
“Some companies have already assume their responsibilities, but all need to follow suit considering sufferings of the victim families and meeting their long-awaited compensation,” Sirajul Islam Rony, President of Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employee League
(BNGWEL) told The New Nation yesterday.
He added: It is unfortunate that buyers are being benefited from the cheap labour but they are now avoiding their responsibility to the workers by refraining themselves from the fund.
Rony said, Negotiations are still going on with the global clothing brands under direct supervision by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). “We hope the global brands and retailers will soon come up with their committed fund to ease the sufferings of the Rana Plaza victim families and injured workers,” he added.
According to him, the Coordination Committee of the Rana Plaza Trust Fund will start an advance payment of Tk 50,000 to each of the 3,600 beneficiaries before the one-year anniversary.
“As I know the payment will be made to them on April 15,” he said.
He also said that Primak, an Irish clothing retailer, has already given $90,000 among the victim families of New Wave Bottom, a garment factory housed in the second floor of Rana Plaza. Primark used to buy garments from the factory.
Most of the foreign buyers who committed to contribute to the Rana Plaza “Donor Trust Fund” are yet to come up with their donation although the tragic industrial incident is going to mark the first anniversary on 24th of this month.
Rana Plaza, an eight-storied commercial building in Savar, housed a number of separate garment factories employing around 5,000 workers, several shops, and a bank when it collapsed on April 24, 2013.
A total of 28 clothing brands and retailers sourcing from Rana Plaza factories were assured to donate into the Trust Fund by 24 April. The factories manufactured apparel for brands, including Benetton, Bonmarché, the Children’s Place, El Corte Inglés, Joe Fresh, Mango, Matalan, Primark and Walmart.
Sources said, the buyers assured to give $ 4.0 crore after the collapse of Rana Plaza to compensate the families of 1,129 dead and 2,515 injured workers. But until March this year they were contributed only $80,000 to the fund.
Frustrated by the buyers’ delay in participating the fund, labour leaders said yesterday that the they are taking time to provide their committed fund ultimately hampering the rehabilitation of the victim families and the injured workers.
“Some companies have already assume their responsibilities, but all need to follow suit considering sufferings of the victim families and meeting their long-awaited compensation,” Sirajul Islam Rony, President of Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employee League
(BNGWEL) told The New Nation yesterday.
He added: It is unfortunate that buyers are being benefited from the cheap labour but they are now avoiding their responsibility to the workers by refraining themselves from the fund.
Rony said, Negotiations are still going on with the global clothing brands under direct supervision by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). “We hope the global brands and retailers will soon come up with their committed fund to ease the sufferings of the Rana Plaza victim families and injured workers,” he added.
According to him, the Coordination Committee of the Rana Plaza Trust Fund will start an advance payment of Tk 50,000 to each of the 3,600 beneficiaries before the one-year anniversary.
“As I know the payment will be made to them on April 15,” he said.
He also said that Primak, an Irish clothing retailer, has already given $90,000 among the victim families of New Wave Bottom, a garment factory housed in the second floor of Rana Plaza. Primark used to buy garments from the factory.
