At least 1,912 workers were killed and another 5,738 were injured in workplace accidents and violence last year. Of the total number of deaths, around 70% (1,194) met accidental deaths in the readymade garment (RMG) sector which is the highest, a report reveals.
The survey styled “Occupational Accident, Violence (January-December) 2013” was conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) on the occasion of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work which will be observed today. The report, prepared using data from 20 newspapers, was exclusively given to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The second highest number of deaths (186) was recorded in the transport sector, with the construction sector ranking third which saw deaths of 95 workers.
In addition, 54 expatriate workers, 35 quarry workers, 27 service workers, 21 day labourers and 63 workers in other sectors lost their lives at their workplaces in a variety of accidents.
Alongside the dead and the injured, 21 workers were victims of mental or physical torture, 25 female workers were raped, 490 were kidnapped and seven committed suicide, according to the report.
The report showed that around 206 workers were victims of workplace violence that eventually resulted in death. The transport sector witnessed the highest number of deaths stemming from workplace violence, which is almost 80% (54), while 29 fishermen died for the same reason.
Sultan Ahmed, assistant executive director of BILS, told the Dhaka Tribune the RMG sector is more vulnerable in comparison with others as it is highly unplanned.
He said because of the large number of RMG workers usually working in the same building, casualties rise higher than in other sectors whenever there is an accident.
“In terms of vulnerability, construction workers come second. Most of the apparel factories are housed in shared buildings. Moreover, the owners do not obey any laws because that is their habit,” Sultan added.
In the report, the accidents were divided into three categories – road accidents, violence and others. 206 workers (168 male, 38 female) died and 913 (826 male, 87 female) were injured in workplace violence, said the report.
Sultan said: “A coordinated initiative involving all the stakeholders is a must in order to ensure the safety of workers and to reduce casualty rates.”
“None of the workers who were killed or injured received any compensation from international brands and factory owners, though it is their right to do so. Only Primark compensated the Rana Plaza collapse victims,” he added.
Speaking about the Accord, Sultan suggested the inspection be done by the government. He said: “Accord could give us technical support for the inspection. Besides, following factory closures, workers are losing jobs and this is sad. The Accord should ensure both employment and safety of the workers and this should be the slogan.”
“If trade unions are formed in factories, the rates of violence and deaths will go down,” Roy Ramesh Chandra, secretary general of IndustriAll Bangladesh, said.
