As the Rana Plaza tragedy approaches its first anniversary -- a grim reminder of the terrible catastrophe -- on April 24, one of the issues that has emerged prominently is the compensation for the victims. However, compensation in no way can make up for deaths and the plight of those who have become crippled for no fault of theirs. Yet handing out a sum of money to their families or the victims themselves who suffered the worst manmade tragedy in the country's industrial history is, at its best, an expression of empathy and a little material help.
Ever since the issue emerged months ago, there were conflicting statements from various quarters, carried out by the media, on issues such as the amount to be paid in compensation, who would be the donors, the mechanism through which to work out the compensation process etc. No doubt, these have only added to the agony of the surviving workers and the families and dependants of the deceased. International rights organisations and trade unions were the staunchest of the campaigners who, beside raising voice for worker's rights and workplace safety in Bangladesh garment sector, pooled a fund of $40 million to be spent as compensation to the victims of the factory collapse that killed more than 1,000 workers nearly a year ago.
Global trade unions, including IndustriALL and UNI, said in a joint statement recently that compensation should reach the victims or their families before the first anniversary of the manmade tragedy. In their statement they said all the brands and retailers (29 in all) who sourced their goods from the garment factories located in the Rana Plaza Complex must contribute to the compensation fund, calculated at less than 0.2 per cent of their combined annual profit. But so far, only one-third of targeted $40 million has reportedly been raised. It has furthermore been reported that 15 retailers did not even make any initial contribution to the trust fund.
Meanwhile, the Country Director of International Labour Organisation (ILO), following a meeting with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), stated that handing out the compensation money would commence before the first anniversary of the factory collapse. A total of 3,080 victims will be compensated, with each receiving Tk 50,000 from the trust fund created by international retailers.
One of the difficulties that might complicate the process could be due to lack of verifiable papers as all documents relating to the workers in the pay-roll of the factories got lost under the ruins. Identity cards of most of the workers are also missing. Hence, information based on the details of rescued workers - dead or surviving - appears to be the key source of information. BGMEA, it has been reported, has worked on the list of the workers employed by all five factories that were housed in the Rana Plaza. The number of workers mentioned by the ILO to be compensated must not clash with the list of the BGMEA. Besides, confusion over such issues as DNA identification should be overcome following advanced scientific method in the interest of the poor victims.
