Rejaul Karim Byron, Refayet Ullah Mirdha and Md Fazlur Rahman

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A ray of hope has emerged for the laid-off, disabled and insolvent workers of export-oriented garment, leather and footwear manufacturing factories as the government has initiated a scheme to extend financial support to them.

The government would pay Tk 3,000 per month to a worker for three months under the scheme, backed by the European Union and Germany, who together paid €113 million.

The labour department has prepared an implementation guideline for the social safety net programme.

Laid-off, disabled and insolvent workers of factories which are members of four platforms would be eligible.

The four are the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), the Leathergoods and Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association of Bangladesh (LFMEAB) and the Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leathergoods and Footwear Exporters’ Association (BFLLFEA).

The finance ministry has sent a proposal to the Prime Minister’s Office seeking permission for the scheme.

Bangladesh’s export sector came under pressure because of the pandemic-induced economic disruptions in the major export markets such as the EU and the US. As a result, several export-oriented factories in the two sectors were forced to announce temporary layoffs and put production on hold or reduce production, affecting both owners and workers.

The affected workers have received compensation under the labour laws. Still, they have been languishing in poverty as the pandemic has persisted and the scope for alternative employment opportunities has been squeezed, the labour ministry guideline.

It said some temporary workers did not get the compensation as they do not meet the conditions. Besides, there is a group of workers who have become physically disabled because of workplace accidents or women workers could not return to work after giving birth.

“As a result, the income-generation capacity has narrowed and the workers are facing economic hardships.”

“So, the government has initiated a move to roll out a social protection scheme to provide emergency humanitarian support for the two important sectors,” said the implementation guideline.

The EU and Germany have agreed to provide €113 million in grant to implement the scheme. The government would allocate a budget in favour of the scheme.

The labour department would implement the scheme. But it would be implemented through active participation of the owners.

The initiative would be implemented under the guideline in the current and the next fiscal years. Md Saiful Islam, president of the LFMEAB, said it was a good move as many workers had lost jobs.

“If the real retrenched workers get Tk 3,000 per month at least for six months, they will be able to cope up with the adverse impacts.”

Nazma Akter, president of Sammilito Garment Sramik Federation, a platform for workers, said the workers would be benefited.

“The workers who have not received salaries in June, July and August are really in trouble.”

“It is good that the welfare of the workers is being looked into. We hope it would be implemented properly,” said Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre.