'Insurance planned for RMG workers'

The government is considering mandatory insurance coverage for readymade garment workers, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said.

She said this to International Labour Organisation (ILO) Deputy Director General for Field Operations and Partnerships Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo when the latter called on her on Wednesday evening at Ganabhaban.

The prime minister’s special aide Mahbubul Hoque Shakil said after the meeting that Hasina had told the ILO official the government was considering the introduction of the insurance system.

Hasina also sought ILO cooperation to improve workers' skills in Bangladesh.

File Photo

She recounted the steps taken by the government for garment workers' welfare and the recent hike in their minimum wages.

Houngbo appreciated the government and the prime minister's initiatives in the rescue work after the Rana Plaza collapse on Apr 24 last year that killed over 1,100 people in one of the world's worst industrial disasters.

Hasina also spoke of her government's unstinted help to the families of the victims.

Houngbo said creating a work-friendly atmosphere in garment factories could help avoiding such disasters.

Ambassador-At-Large M Ziauddin, Prime Minister’s Office Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad and Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar were present during the meeting, among others.

ILO Deputy Director General Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday ahead of the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse.