Syed Sultan
Uddin Ahmmed, Assistant Executive Director of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour
Studies (BILS Projects), discusses compensation for Rana Plaza victims, factory
safety and labor unions in Bangladesh. In his view, while a lot of money is
being spent for seminars and consultants, little has actually improved for workers
in the factories. by
Marianne Scholte
Dhaka, 24 September 2014
Scholte: A
lot has happened since Rana Plaza. What is the situation in the readymade
garment sector and for its workers and labor unions now?
Sultan
Ahmmed: There have been endless discussions, nationally and
internationally, seminars and conferences in New York, in Brussels, Dhaka,
everywhere. Enormous resources have been used, but personally, I don’t feel
there has been much improvement on the ground.
Scholte: But
what about the compensation being paid by the Rana Plaza Claims Administration?
What about the factory inspections by the Accord and Alliance, the remediation
going on, the new health and safety committees? Over 200 new labor unions have
been registered with the government. All this doesn’t constitute progress?
Sultan
Ahmmed: To some small degree, yes. But it is not what it
should be. Take compensation. Some victims got support from individual donors; some
got support from the Prime Minister’s fund, but one year and five months after
Rana Plaza, the Rana Plaza Claims Administration has not been able to disburse
compensation to the victims. It is terribly late, terribly late.
Scholte: Why
has it taken so long?
Sultan
Ahmmed: Because of the assessment criteria – they are
complicated and took a long time. This is a huge challenge for the committee.
And then there is the problem of non-availability of sufficient funds: we have
only enough funds to disburse 40% of the calculated amount.
Scholte: But
even that 40% has not been disbursed. How much has been disbursed?
Sultan
Ahmmed: Only 50,000 taka per person plus 45,000 taka from Primark.
So all together 95,000 taka (960 euros) per person has been disbursed. I am a
member of the Rana Plaza Claims Administration, so it is also my failure.
Scholte: How
long will it take until the compensation is disbursed?
