A new study titled “Invisible Scars: 5 Years after Rana Plaza” by Action Aid Bangladesh has uncovered some worrying findings regarding the psychophysical health and the socio-economic vulnerabilities of the victims. The study, spearheaded by two researchers, Aamanur Rahman and Nuzhat Jabin, used the database of 1400 survivors and followed up with 200 survivors over phone to map out the physical and psychosocial well-being of the survivors and their overall economic condition.
ActionAid revealed the report on April 17 at an event, with the participation of representatives from different sectors including government representatives, factory owners, foreign buyers and brands, workers’ rights organizations and the collapse survivors.
Debilitating physical and mental trauma continue
According to the study, five years after the ghastly accident, only 17.5 percent of the survivors, many of whom have been maimed, identified their physical state as stable, whereas for 12 percent the condition is getting worse. 70.5 percent identified their health condition as more or less stable.
Comparing to the 2017 report of the NGO, the mental health of the victims has exacerbated by 8.3 percent. However, the number itself is worrisome enough as 22.5 percent of the participants couldn’t get over the horror of witnessing deaths under the wreckages. About 63 percent reported that they are more or less stable and only 14.5 percent are said to be recovered fully from the trauma.Stuck in a socio-economic blackhole
With ripped limbs and agonizing nightmares, many of these survivors also lost the means for earning a living. The researchers found that 51.3 percent survivors have returned to work and are engaged in various types of wage and self-employment, while 48.7 percent survivors claimed that they are not working.
The study conducted the previous year found the reasons for unemployment to be physical and mental weakness for 48.1 percent and 33.4 percent respectively. This continues to be the case. Physical (59.6 percent) and mental weakness (13.1 percent) are still cited as the main reasons behind the unemployment cases. Among the currently unemployed victims, majority (97.6 percent) have not worked in the last Six months, which consequently causes the deterioration of socio-economic condition of the already distressed people, who are, in fact, falling into a vicious loop of poverty and vulnerability which usually exacerbates over time.
The substantive data of their total household income raises further concern regarding their social and physical well-being. When asked about total household income, 4.5 percent said their household income is Tk5,000 or less, when the minimum wage for entry level workers in the ready-made garments factory is Tk5,300.Progress in policy, delay in justice
Although the tremendous casualities from the Rana Plaza collapse caused a global outcry, much remains to be done to ensure the rights and safety of the garments workers in Bangladesh. ActionAid’s 2018 report refers to an array of major policy and institutional reforms in the RMG industry since the collapse, which includes the amendment of the labour laws, reflecting a sense of obligation on the the Government’s part to respect the fundamental rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining and to address the critical need to bolster occupational safety and health.
With a special focus on occupational safety and health in the amendment of the Labour Act, the National Occupational Safety and Health Policy 2013 was formulated in response to the crisis. According to the paper, the most visible changes took place in terms of structural and electrical safety with national and international stakeholders acting promptly. However, there is no clear indication on how the structural deficiencies identified would be financed or whose responsibility is it to ensure that the safety measures are undertaken and the timeframe to complete those.
Challenges persist as the High Court’s decision on the compensation issue is yet to be resolved and some argue that the payment made so far is merely monetary support and not compensation in any real sense. In spite of the charges being pressed by police against a number of accused in two cases filed, the trial proceedings are yet to start. Five years on, victims and families still wait for justice.Issues with compensation
The formation of the Remediation Coordination Cell (RCC) is an important milestone in terms of addressing safety concerns, the report notes. But problems persist regarding the financing of smaller factories to undertake remediation schemes, as the average cost of remediation is about a whopping Tk50 million. Inspection has also resulted in the permanent closure of some factories and this further pushes the workers to a vulnerable state where job security is a big question.
In response to the issues, the paper suggests state intervention in negotiation with international buyers and brands as part of foreign policy and economic diplomacy, while strengthening the designated government departments and ministries to continue to inspect and streamline the process by ensuring greater coordination among the department of inspection of factories and establishment.
Reduction in the gaps between Bangladesh's labour policy and labour laws is also suggested to make it more worker-friendly. In order to reduce the poverty and vulnerability of the affected people, the researchers recommended developing a compensation mechanism at the national and global level that clarifies the assessment criteria and reflects the prevailing socio-economic reality at the sourcing countries.
