ILO Deputy DG hails payments to Rana Plaza victims

Deputy Director-General for Field Operations and Partnerships of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Gilbert Houngbo welcomed compensation payments made by the Rana Plaza Coordination Committee to survivors of the Rana Plaza tragedy and the families of those who died on 24 April, 2013, said an ILO statement Tuesday, reports BSS.
"These initial payments are good news, now it needs to be ensured that all legitimate claims are honoured and that the injured victims or their surviving families receive full entitlements for their losses," Mr Houngbo said.
Gilbert Houngbo arrived in Dhaka Tuesday ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse on April 24.
"More donations to the Rana Plaza Trust Fund are needed to achieve the US$40 million target and ensure fair treatment for victims and their families, who are struggling to rebuild their lives," Houngbo added.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Tuesday started disbursing compensation of Taka 50,000 to each of 3,000 victims of the Rana Plaza tragedy that have been listed by them.
The provisional disbursement will be provided under the Global Trust Fund that has been jointly initiated by the ILO, government, local owners and international buyers to compensate the victims of the collapse.
So far, about US$ 17 million has been deposited with the trust fund though US$ 40 million has been pledged by the stakeholders in this regard.