The lingering issue of updating the biometric database of workers engaged in the RMG sector of Bangladesh continues as Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar reportedly stated that workers engaged in factories which are yet to update workers’ information in the database, would not get financial assistance if concerned factories fail to do the needful at earliest.
Also Read – 2.1 million Bangladeshi knitwear workers’ details yet to be included in biometric database: Reports
Speaking to a Bangladesh daily, Shipar said, “We urged the garment sector leaders repeatedly to prepare worker database quickly but factory owners were reluctant to go with the direction though they promised several times to do the job,” adding that workers would receive financial assistance from the fund from December but those working in factories which fail to do the needful, would be deprived of the benefit.
In such a situation, factory owners would have to face unrest in their units which would force them to come under the initiative, Shipar reportedly underlined.
Meanwhile, former Vice-President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Mohammad Hatem, reportedly observed that though the fund management committee decided to provide financial assistance to the apparel sector workers from December, the process might get delayed as the workers database was yet to be ready, adding that BKMEA would start preparing the biometric database within a short time.
It may be mentioned here that, once created, the database would help store the basic information about a worker, including his or her identification, family details, record about service details, including factory and employer, dates of his or her joining or leaving the job and its reasons and also details of his/her skill.
Also Read – BGMEA’s ‘no’ to time extension for implementing workers’ biometric database
The Labour Ministry earlier had formed a 10-member board to set up the central fund for the RMG sector, to determine contributions and their realisation procedure and provisions for utilisations of the money for welfare of beneficiaries in the RMG sector.
In accordance, the Government has started collecting 0.03 per cent of freight on board prices from the RMG factory owners from July 1 and more than BDT 12 crore have reportedly been deposited to the fund till mid-October.
As per the rules, the money will be deposited equally in the two accounts — beneficiary account and contingency account. Financial assistance for workers or their family members will be taken from the beneficiary account while the amount deposited in the contingency account will be used to meet the dues of workers of any closed factory if its owner is unable to pay the workers.
