A media report on Wednesday highlighted a dire situation of workers in the informal sector being restricted by renewed shutdown. This is yet another blow like last year’s to workers in the absence of adequate government support for them to survive without work. They are hardly cared for in their difficult times. Most jobless families are fighting to tackle hunger half-fed in their daily life.
Over 23 government stimulus packages running over Tk 1.25 trillion primarily aim at rescuing big manufacturing and service sectors, the poor informal workers are not included.
Millions of the jobless and their families are almost without food. Hawkers are the extensively hit at this time before the Eid-ul-Fitr festival. They normally earn enough at this time every year for their families. This year’s closure of market and restriction on people’s movement have left their businesses shut. There are around 10 lakh hawkers who don’t know how to feed their families. So also 50 lakh transport workers find life difficult without earnings. Over 16 lakh informal workers have lost jobs in the construction industry, 12 lakh in restaurants and bakeries. This is an average scenario based on estimates of last year’s shutdown.
The pandemic has brought in its wake a big disaster impacting all societies – the rich and the poor all over the world. Developed nations are providing livelihood support even house rent to workers and employees without jobs. But a country like ours has not enough public safety net programmes. The rich make illegal fortune and yet get enough government support. The poor seek help from God. We are afraid this rich dominated system can’t continue longer if we don’t change the system to take care of the basic needs of the common people.
