Rana Plaza study finds over 58 percent survivors still suffering psychosocial difficulties

More than 58 percent of Rana Plaza survivors are still suffering from long-term psychosocial difficulties three years after the building collapsed, a study says.

ActionAid Bangladesh published on Saturday the findings of a survey on 1,300 survivors and 500 relatives of the deceased.

The report titled, ‘Three years Post Rana Plaza: Changes in the RMG Sector’, says 48 percent survivors are currently unemployed.

Of them, 56.5 percent cited physical weakness and 34.1 percent mental weakness as the main reasons for being unemployed.

“It is noteworthy that the survivors are changing their jobs and shifting from one factory to another frequently,” the report says.

As regards to their career plan, most of the respondents intend to get involved in small business in future, it says.

Only 4.8 percent of the respondents have plans to work in garment factory, it adds.

The Rana Plaza collapse, one of the worst industrial accidents in the country, occurred on Apr 24 in 2013 at Savar on the outskirts of the capital.

The accident claimed at least 1,135 lives, mostly workers of five readymade garment factories housed in the building. More than a thousand workers were injured in the collapse.

“While the compensation issue has been resolved to a large extent, the long-drawn out process undermines the usefulness of the support. The factory inspection poses multiple challenges,” ActionAid says in the report.

The assessment of compensation considered both financial and medical needs, it says adding, “However workers are not aware of this calculation.”

The report recommends incorporating a compensation mechanism that clarifies the calculation criteria and reflects the prevailing socio-economic reality within the national legal framework.

The other recommendations include minimising the loopholes in the labour law to make it worker-friendly and strengthening the designated government department to continue the factory inspection and streamline the process of providing permits for setting up factories.

ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir moderated a discussion to mark the publication.

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) Chairperson Hameeda Hossain, Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments Director General Sayeed Ahmed and ILO RMG Programme Manager Tuomo Poutiainen were present among others.