Survivors of the Rana Plaza building collapse one year ago in Bangladesh are still suffering from their injuries and loss of income, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said yesterday.
HRW urged the international garment brands to help mitigate the damage by assisting with the full restitution of those who were injured or lost their lives in Rana Plaza collapse.
Not only HRW, but also the local right bodies and labour leaders urged to come up with a comprehensive compensation plan for the families of 1,100 dead and 2,500 injured workers after the Rana Plaza industrial homicide on 24 April 2013.
“As the compensation is long over due, so, come up with the proper compensation package to help them smile again,” the right bodies made the call on the eve of first anniversary of Rana Plaza disaster.
They also said that they do not want to see again Rana Plaza like disaster, which severely tarnished image of the country. Â
“One year after Rana Plaza collapsed, far too many victims and their families are at serious risk of destitution,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, adding, “International garment brands should be helping the injured and the dependents of dead workers who manufactured their clothes.”
Survivors and relatives continue to suffer from life-changing injuries, psychological trauma, and a loss of income. Some said they were struggling to feed their families and send their children to school, according to HRW.
International companies that sourced garments from five factories operating in the Rana Plaza building are not contributing enough to the financial trust fund set up to support survivors and the families of those who died.
The target for the fund, which is chaired by the International Labour Organization (ILO), is US$40 million, but only $15 million has been raised so far. On April 22, 2014, the government announced that victims would receive their first payments of $645 each from the fund.
Of the $15 million raised for the fund so far, a single firm, Primark, has donated $8 million, according to the fund’s website. Some companies that were not doing business with Rana Plaza have also contributed to the fund. By contrast, 15 brands whose clothing and brand labels were found in the rubble of the factory by journalists and labor activists have not paid into the fund.
The fund will establish a systematic and transparent claims process so that all victims, their families, and dependents will receive the long-term support they need. The fund is open to any company, individual, or organization that “wishes to contribute as a way of expressing solidarity and compassion with the Rana Plaza victims,” the fund’s website explains.
“Companies should recognize this fund is the most appropriate mechanism for ensuring that the right help goes to the right people, since it has been set up by all the relevant stakeholders: the Bangladesh government, industry bodies, the ILO, trade unions, NGOs, and some of the brands themselves,” Robertson said. “International garment brands now need to step up their support to make this victims’ fund work to help the thousands of people affected by this disaster.”
Human Rights Watch recently spoke to 44 survivors and relatives of the deceased, and found that all had received some financial support, but in most instances this was inadequate. The assistance came from a variety of sources but the amount each received may not have been sufficient, with little opportunity for victims to seek adjustments.
Those survivors who lost limbs received saving certificates from the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, guaranteeing a monthly income of $130-$190. But doctors amputated both of Rabeya Begum’s legs in December, months after the saving certificates were distributed by the government. So instead of receiving a guaranteed monthly income, Rabeya, 35, said she had about $4,500 from various donors; money, she says, that has already almost run out.
Help them smile again
