Owner of Smart Export Garments Ltd should be arrested immediately

asian-labour-update

A protest and condolence rally and procession organized by All Party Garment Workers Unity, an apex body of different garment workers federations, was held today (27.01.2013) to protest the killing of garment workers in Smart Export Garments Ltd factory fire on 26.01.2013. Presided over by National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) President Amirul Haque Amin, the rally was held in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka city at 4:00pm. A protest procession was taken out after the rally. The procession paraded different streets of the city. The protest rally was addressed by President of Garment Workers Employees League Lima Ferdous, General Secretary of Bangladesh Garment Workers Employees Federation Kamrul Ahsan, General Secretary of United Federation of Garment Workers Nurul Islam, President of National Garment Workers Employees Federation M Delowar Hossain, President of Swadhin Bangla Garment Workers Employees Federation Shamima Nasrin, President of Bangladesh Garment Workers Federation Jahanara Begum, President of Bangla Garment Workers Federation Kazi Mohammad Ali, President of National Garment, Tailors, Sweater Workers Federation Md Rafiq, General Secretary of Ekota Garment Workers Federation Kamrul Hasan, President of Bangladesh Garment Workers League Selim Reza, General Secretary of Garment Workers Employees Federation Arafat Zakaria Sanchoi and Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Revolutionary Garment Workers Federation Kazi Swapan. Expressing solidarity to the program addressed the rally by General Secretary of garment Workers Trade Union Center Ruhul Amin, President of Jago Bangladesh Garment Workers Federation Baharane Sultan Bahar and President of Bangladesh Garment & Industrial Workers Federation Babul Akter. The speakers urged all to stop playing with the lives of the garment workers. “The workers don’t want to become dead body after joining work in factory,” they said. The speakers demanded immediate arrest of all, including the owner, responsible for the death of 7 workers in factory fire. They demanded of the Government & the BGMEA to pay compensation to the families of the dead workers as per the definition of the “loss of earnings” and for providing advanced medical treatment to the injured workers and to pay them adequate compensation. They also demanded to establish safe workplace in garment factories. The A 5-point demands was made from the All Party Garment Workers Unity protest rally to the government and the BGMEA. The demands are as follows: 1. Owner of the Smart Export Garments Ltd should be arrested immediately 2. All dead workers family should be paid compensation as per definition of “loss of earnings”. 3. Advanced medical treatment should be provided to all injured workers. They should be paid adequate compensation. 4. Safe workplace should be ensured in all garment factories. Buyers, Bussiness peoplees, Government and Trade unions come forward to do this. 5. Job security should be given to all workers. In case the factory could not be open, arrear wages & allowances should immediately be paid, including highest compensation. Amirul Haque Amin ,President, NGWF