The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE) and Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust (BLAST) will provide all-out legal support to injured workers and dependent families of those killed in workplace accidents for obtaining compensation.

The two specialized NGOs announced their decision at a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Thursday. At the conference, OSHE unveiled a leaflet and a booklet for creating awareness toward obtaining workers' compensation.

Speakers at the conference said hundreds of workers are killed and injured in accidents at work in the country every year, but, in most of the cases, the owner sides do not want to provide them compensation which is a major obligation as per Bangladesh Labour Act 2006.

Quoting an OSHE survey, they said a total of 1768 workers were killed and 1782 injured in different workplace accidents across the country last year.

Quoting the labour act, the NGO-duo said, "If any worker suffers an injury, resulting in at least four days' totally or partially off-work, the employers must pay compensation for any injury.

"Where the injury results in permanent disability, the employers must pay Tk 125,000. If the worker dies in workplace accident, the employer must pay his or her dependant families Tk 100,000 through the labour court."

OSHE assistant general secretary China Rahman urged the government to implement the labour act properly and effectively to obtain the compensation for workplace deaths and injuries. She announced that OSHE in cooperation with BLAST would provide all-out supports to the workers or workers' dependants in this regard.

BLAST deputy director Farida Yasmin said where workers and employers cannot come to an agreement on compensation, or where the employers refuse to pay compensation, BLAST's labour unit is committed to protecting the workers' legal rights through the labour court.

Stressing the need for creating mass awareness toward obtaining the compensation as per the existing law, OSHE research officer Md Sekandar Ali Mina said mass media could play a vital role in this regard.

Labour leaders were also present at the conference.