Survey: Most Rana Plaza survivors still traumatised

Over 58% survivors of the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster have still been suffering from long-term psychosocial difficulties, a new study report says. ActionAid Bangladesh conducted the survey to assess “Socio-Economic Reintegration of Rana Plaza Survivors and Kin of Deceased: Exploring Way-forward for Institutionalising Compensation and Safety Related Measures and Assessing Changes in Policy Architecture” on the three years of the country’s worst industrial disaster. The telephonic survey covered over 1,300 survivors and 500 kins of the deceased during March 15-31 this year. At least 1,134 people mostly female workers of the five garment factories housed on Rana Plaza were killed and over 2,500 people injured as the building collapsed April 24, 2013 due to negligence of the authorities concerned. “In terms of psychosocial health, 58.4% of those surveyed are still suffering from long-term psychosocial difficulties, 37.3% are more or less stable and only 4.3% have recovered fully,” the survey found. Over 57% respondents acknowledged that they had received counselling to reduce the trauma, the figure of traumatised survivors is still an issue of in-depth assessment and intervention. In terms of psychical health, 78.8% survivors reported that their condition is more or less stable. Moreover, 14.6% who reported that their condition is deteriorating listed headache, difficulty in movement, pain in hand and leg, back pain as some of the major problems. On the current status of the survivors’ employment, the study found that 52% of them got engaged in various types of wage and self-employment, while 48% survivors are currently unemployed. In the previous survey, 55% survivors were found unemployed, while 44% others were engaged in various types of wage and self-employment. Those who are unemployed cited physical weakness (56.5%) and mental weakness (34.1%) as the main reasons for being unemployed. “Employment is improving steadily since last three years but temporary unemployment is challenge that could be addressed through scoping further opportunities,” the report stated. It is noteworthy that the survivors are changing their jobs and shifting from one factory to another frequently. Among the currently employed, 21.4% are found to have been working in garments factories, 23.2% involved in petty business, while 16.8% are working as tailors. Additionally, 3%  are running grocery shop, 4.2% are engaged in wage labour and 4.9% in agriculture. Some 2.9% are engaged in irregular works. ActionAid Bangladesh has called for incorporating the compensation mechanism which reflects the prevailing socio-economic reality within the national legal framework and continuing the factory inspection and streamlining the process of providing permits for setting up factories. It also urged the government to ensure the true spirit of “freedom of association” by adequately empowering the trade unions to collectively bargain for their rights and cut loopholes in the labour law to make it employee-friendly.