It’s time to pay up for the deaths and calamity caused by the Rana Plaza collapse in April. The cost: $71 million USD.
IndustriALL Global Union, an organization that represents 50 million workers in 140 countries held a meeting Tuesday to discuss proper compensation for victims and survivors and according their demands, proper compensation equals $71 million USD. They also urged brands and retailers to participate in a compensation program for victims.
According to Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star, IndustriALL asked that Tk 28.32 lakh ($37,000 USD) be paid to each apparel worker who died or was never accounted for after the collapse. Of the $71 million total, 45 percent should be paid by retailers, 28 percent by owners, 18 percent by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the balance by the government, said Ramesh Chandra, general secretary of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council, The Daily Star reported.
IndustriALL developed its compensation plan after the Spectrum factory collapse near Dhaka in 2005 and it was used again for the That’s It Sportswear fire in Bangladesh in 2010.
According to the organization’s website, the formula establishes clear guidelines for payment that takes into account loss of earnings, pain and suffering, medical costs, funeral costs and other family expenses.
So far, victims and victim’s families have yet to see a penny of redress and October 24 will mark six months since the deadly incident killed more than 1,100 workers and injured thousands.
“The families and the injured have already waited far too long. Companies who are serious about conditions in their Bangladeshi production chain can send a clear sign of their sincerity at these meetings,” IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary Monika Kemperle said in a statement.