FE Report
The head of the European Union (EU) Delegation in Dhaka Ambassador William Hanna on Sunday raised the issue of the non-payment of Rana Plaza victims' compensation and the required safety measures on the eve of the first anniversary of the country's biggest ever industrial disaster.
He said that he was 'not satisfied' fully with the progress in the steps taken so far on the workers' safety and rights in Bangladesh's ready-made garment (RMG) sector.
"…Where are the compensations? Did the victims get the compensations? I think not," he said replying to journalists' queries on the sidelines of a Women's Day celebration event in Dhaka with garment workers.
Care Bangladesh organised the celebration programme in association with the EU and the Austrian Development Cooperation at the city's CIRDAP (Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and Pacific) auditorium. The event was titled 'Lives beyond Machines - A Reflection on Priorities for Women in the RMG Sector' organised under the project Solidarity and Empowerment through Education, Motivation and Awareness (SEEMA) funded by the EU.
Country Representative of UN Women Christine Hunter and Care Bangladesh Country Director Jamie Terzi were also present.
The EU ambassador said Bangladesh would face 'uncomfortable questions' from the global community, as it completes one year of the Rana Plaza collapse, about compensation and safety issues.
"I am not satisfied and why would we be," he said replying to questions from the reporters.
The worst industrial disaster in Bangladesh's history took place at Rana Plaza in Savar leaving at least 1,133 people dead and about 2,500 injured, when the eight-storeyed building collapsed on April 24 last year.
He said two members of the European Parliament would come to Dhaka next week and they would look into the factory issues.
William Hanna said the first question the government would face relates to the compensation for the victims, adding it was not clear to him what had happened to the promised compensation.
He also said next month, one year after the Rana Plaza building collapse, there would be a lot of foreign journalists who would come here and they would be asking questions on the progress in steps taken so far for workers' safety and other related areas.
He, however, acknowledged that there had been some progress in safety measures, but a lot more needed to be done.
"I can see changes happening but they have to be continued," he said.
The US has suspended duty-free access for Bangladesh products to its market, but because garments were not among those enjoying the privilege, it has not been affected much.
"We gave free access for RMG products to the EU countries to enable the sector to perform better, not to exploit the workers," the EU delegation head said.
Bangladesh's ready-made garments enjoy duty-free access in EU, and 60 per cent of Bangladesh's RMG products go to EU market.
The government says it has already fulfilled 13 of the 16 points listed in the EU Action Plan that include revision of the labour law and creating posts for factory inspectors.
The ambassador noted that some progresses had been made in expediting factory inspections, labour law reform and rise in workers' minimum wages.
"It's encouraging that factories are being inspected … it's good news, though problems are arising in some cases," the EU delegation chief observed.
Hanna said the RMG sector must ensure sustained production addressing all the concerns.
Responding to a question, the EU envoy said change was happening slowly and it was very important to keep up the efforts over the next few weeks to present a picture (to the global media), which is a promising one.
The EU envoy expressed satisfaction with the registration of a number of unions, saying the last few months saw the formation of a good number of union bodies.
However, he lamented that some factory owners were not accepting labour unions.
"Owners have to accept it. There is a need for change in attitudes and the mindset. Owners have to accept and unions have to be there, that requires a big change in the mindset," he said.
Earlier, speaking as the chief guest at the programme, William Hanna said women working in the RMG sector should be safe at their workplaces, should be free from harassment, and workers should be well-paid and well-treated.
He laid emphasis on training for young girls saying bettering training will ultimately bring in better jobs and better earnings.
"We have to work together to that end."
Care Bangladesh Country Director Jamie Terzi said the women are often not recognised for their contribution. "We're committed to women's empowerment. We'll continue to work together."
She said they would continue to work for ensuring a dignified life for women in Bangladesh.
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