Source: The Daily Star
By SUSHMITA S PREETHA
Workers of Outwear Fashions Ltd take to the streets in Sheorapara in the capital demanding better pay and longer maternity leave. They blocked Rokeya Sarani and called on garment workers of other factories to join them. The workers of other
factories, however, refused. Photo: Palash Khan
In theory, human life is priceless. But under Bangladesh’s labour law, a worker’s life is worth just Tk 1 lakh ($1,250).
In a country where industrial deaths and injuries are high, the labour law should have stringent provisions to oblige owners to adequately support workers and their families in case of workplace accidents, rights activists and labour leaders say.
They note that stricter laws will discourage owners from violating safety codes and putting workers’ lives at risk to minimise costs.
At present, however, compensation provisions in the country are among the worst in the world.
In China, Bangladesh’s main competitor in the garment sector, the compensation, including a one-time package, funeral benefits and monthly instalments, is about Tk 78 lakh, according to China Labour Bulletin.
“In a country where a worker’s life is worth only Tk 1 lakh, is it a surprise that the death toll [in industrial accidents] is so high?” asks labour leader Nazma Akhtar.
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