Over 50 Canadian organisations, including human rights, investors and religious groups, have urged Canada government to ask its local companies to contribute to the Trust Fund for Rana Plaza survivors.
In an open letter to Canada's minister of international trade and development Monday, the organisations also requested the Canadian government to match the contributions to the fund by Canadian companies and organisations.
"We appeal to your government to add its voice to those of its European counterparts by publicly encouraging Canadian companies that have apparel products made in Bangladesh to also contribute generously to the Trust Fund immediately, by offering to match those total contributions, and by calling on the Government of Bangladesh and the BGMEA to increase their contributions and ensure their public accountability," the letter said.
More than 16 months after the disaster, the Rana Plaza Donors Trust is about to distribute the first installment of compensation to some of the victims and survivors. Yet, only half the $40 million needed has been donated to the Fund to date.
"It is critical that sufficient funds are raised to compensate the workers and families whose lives have been forever damaged," said Hassan Yussuff, president of the Canadian Labour Congress.
"Canada must step forward, starting with a call from the federal government to Canadian retailers sourcing from Bangladesh to contribute, and contribute generously to the Trust Fund," he added.
"If we fail to fill this funding gap today, many of the survivors that can no longer work and families of those killed at Rana Plaza could face a future of abject poverty, and the surviving children could be denied an education and forced to work under hazardous conditions," Lynda Yanz, Executive Director of the Maquila Solidarity Network, said.
To date only one Canadian company - Loblaw (Joe Fresh) - of the more than 130 that have apparel products made in Bangladesh has contributed to the Trust Fund, which is managed by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
In contrast, a number of US and European companies (and/or their foundations) including Gap Foundation, N Brown Group, VF Foundation, H&M Foundation and Inditex that had no relationship to factories in the Rana Plaza building have contributed to the Trust Fund, the letter added.
In June, seven European governments - the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark -- released a joint public statement calling on retailers and brands in their respective countries to donate generously to the Trust Fund, and urged the Bangladesh government and industry association to increase their contributions and ensure their public accountability.
The Rana Plaza Donors' Trust Fund, for which the ILO acts as the sole trustee, was established to provide compensation to the victims and survivors of the tragedy for lost income and medical expenses.
As of September 1, the Trust Fund has received less than half the $40 million needed to fully compensate the victims and survivors.
In September and early October, the ILO will distribute the first installment of compensation to the victims and survivors of the Rana Plaza tragedy.
It is therefore imperative that there are sufficient monies in the Trust Fund to provide the first installment of compensation to all eligible claimants, and to ensure that there are sufficient additional contributions made in the very near future so that all the eligible claimants can receive the full compensation to which they are entitled.
(munni_fe@yahoo.com)
