Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation (BLF) demanded Monday payment of compensation for the Rana Plaza victims and their families before the first anniversary of the tragic industrial incident (April 24), taking their loss of future earnings and sufferings into account.
The labour organisation also expressed deep resentment over non-payment of the workers' rightful compensation even almost a year after the world's worst industrial tragedy that took 1,135 lives.
BLF formally placed the demand at a press conference at National Press Club. Among others, BLF chairman Abdus Salam Khan and secretary general Z M Kamrul Anam, and labour leader Hedayatul Islam were present on the occasion.
The BLF chairman said the ill-fated survivors, mostly female apparel workers, are still deprived of necessary medical treatments and promised rehabilitation facilities.
In addition, relatives of the missing Rana Plaza victims are still waiting to get at least bodies of their beloved ones, who used to work in the factories housed in the collapsed building.
He also demanded declaration of the missing apparel workers as 'dead', and called upon the authorities concerned to ensure payment of promised compensation to their relatives immediately.
Abdus Salam Khan urged the authorities concerned to follow the ILO convention to take into account loss of future earnings as well as pain and sufferings for payment of the compensation.
The labour body also stressed on ensuring workplace safety and proper security for the country's ready-made garment workers to avert further untoward occurrence in the clothing sector.
"The government, industry owners, buyers and trade unions should work together to improve workplace safety for the apparel makers," Mr Khan said.
BLF also demanded stern punishment for the people, responsible for the factory building collapse.
"Rarely the culprits, responsible for man-made disasters in the country, get due punishments, resulting increased frequency of such tragic incidents," he added.
The organisation also accused the probe bodies concerned for not publishing investigation reports of such industrial atrocities.
Shock gripped people all over the world on April 24 last year when the 9-storied Rana Plaza at Savar, which housed five apparel units, collapsed, killing at least 1,135 people and injuring hundreds others.
