OSHE Newsletter No. 3 May-June 2015
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
May - June 2015 Issue No. - 03 OSHE Workplace Accident Survey Report: There were 1088 workers causalities in workplace accident from January to June 2015; Transport, Garments, Construction and Agriculture Workers in peak 600 workers died in workplace accident (Formal Sector - 170 of its field offices in different parts of the country. The national and Informal Sector - 430) and 488 workers were injured daily newspapers were the Daily Prothom Alo, Ittafaq, (Formal Sector - 225 and Informal Sector - 263) in different Jaijaidin, Naya Diganta, Kaler Kantho, Somokal, Jugantor, workplace accidents from January to June 2015. Among the Sangbad, Janakantha, Inqualib, The Daily Star, Daily casualties 971 were male, 106 were female workers and the Independent, Daily New Age, Daily Sun and Dhaka Tribune. rest 11 were unidentified. As per the findings of newspapers, in formal sector the highest Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment number of workers’ casualties 114 took place in RMG Foundation (OSHE) has revealed this half yearly workplace (sweater, waving, knitting, spinning, dyeing and composing) accident survey report based on regular monitoring of 15 sector. Among them died 36 and Injured 78 RMG workers; leading national daily newspapers of the country and reports see page 02 Celebrating International May Day 2015: Demands for the Protection of Informal Sector Worker’s Rights There is no law to ensure the rights of the 54.1 million workers in the country. 88 percent of them are informal workers. Among those are - agriculture, construction, domestic, family business, rice mill, brick kiln, garage, land and sea port, transport, furniture, saw-mill, carpenter, welding, auto-mobile, shop, hotel-restaurant, fisheries and livestock farm, poultry, packaging, chemical factory, plastic factory, pharmaceutical, self-employed small and medium sector. These large numbers of labour force in the country are not under the law. As result they are unprotected from labour informal workers rights. with associated Ministry of Labour and law. So OSHE Foundation and Karmajibi Employment (MoLE) organized a Nari gave emphasis for protection of OSHE Foundation and Karmojibi Nari see page 02 Omar Faruk and moderated by Program OSHE expanded its activities to Aminbazar Waste Resource Workers Officer (PO) of the project Mrs. Arifa As Alam. Besides the second meeting was for development of decent work environment held on June 09, chaired by PO Arifa OSHE organized two sensitization and moderated by Assistant Program meetings with informal sector worker of Officer (APO) of the project Ms. Shermin waste resource workers of Aminbazar Shanta. Sanitary Landfill, the second largest The objective of the meeting was to waste dumping station in Bangladesh orient about Bangladesh Occupational operated by Dhaka North City Health, Safety and Environment Corporation. The meeting was held in Foundation (OSHE) and its goal, to Karmojibi Shishu School at Kunda, discuss on sensitizing waste resource Aminbazar on May 27 and June 9, 2015. workers about occupational health and The first meeting was chaired by safety as well as organizing the Assistant Director (AD) of OSHE Md. unorganized. see page 02 causalities happened for road accident, middle-income country earlier must be OSHE Survey Report: attacked by miscreants, factory fire, given the recognized informal workers. After Page 01 falling from height, electrocution, boiler Joynal Abedin and Shandhya Begum, besides 67 were male and 47 were or water pipe explosion and agriculture workers of Manikganj and female workers. The second highest building/roof/wall Collapse etc. number of workers’ casualties took Samad Miah and Solema Begum, place in construction sector. There were agriculture workers of Narshingdi died 12 and injured 29 workers among May Day 2015: demanded ensuring having low price them mostly were suffered from After Page 01 ration as well as providing accidental medical treatment facilities for building/roof collapse (8 died & 27 national seminar on “Worker’s rights to agriculture workers. injured from building/roof collapse). protect the legal rights and activities of Besides, 23 workers were died and 13 the informal sector” on celebration of Executive Director of Karmajibi Nari were injured in service sectors (health, May Day 2015 at VIP Lounge, National Rokeya Rafique Baby, Assistant security guard, cleaner, hotel worker, press club, Dhaka on 4th May, 2015. Executive Director of Bangladesh sales man, DESA, WASA etc). Honorable State Minister of MoLE Mr. Institute of Labour Studies Mr. Syed Besides 13 transport workers died and Md. Mujibul Haque MP presented as Sultan Uddin Ahmed, President of 14 were injured by this time. Among Chief Guest. Saki Rezwana Chairperson Bangladesh Khet Mojur Samity Mr. them 07 were died in road accident and of OSHE delivered opening speech in Samsuzzaman Salim and Subal Sarker, 14th were injured by miscreants. In the program. General Secretary of Bangladesh formal sector, among others casualties Bhumihin Samity etc were presented the In his Speech, Mr. Mujibul Haque said, event. were steel mill or re-rolling mill workers present government is much aware of (20), Plastic factory (12), Shoe factory the rights of agriculture workers of the (12), Brick kiln (12), Rice Mill (12), Aminbazar Waste Resource country. All essential initiatives have Ater Page 01 Pharmaceutical factory (10), Automobile been taken for the development of these (10), lighter factory (10) and cement people. The condition of agriculture In the discussion of meeting, Mr. Omar factory (8) etc. workers is miserable for not getting fare Faruq introduced about OSHE Foundation, its goal, objectives, ongoing Moreover, the ship breaking sector price of crops and expensive production activities and projects etc. He said, brought about 03 death and 15 injuries. cost. “OSHE is an NGO but there is no In this sector mostly accident happened Mr. Fazla Hassain Badsha MP, Shirin monetary transaction or micro finance fall from height, during hit of iron bar, Akther MP, Syed Ahmed Inspector related activity.” It develops awareness tear of wire/ winch. General (Additional Secretary) of on occupational health and safety issues In informal sector, the highest number of department of Inspection for factories so that workers from both formal & workers’ casualties (Died - 153 and and establishment, Abdul Mukit Khan informal sector do work in a decent Injured - 125) took place in transport President of National Co-ordination working environment with safety. Under sector. Among them 103 were died and Committee for Workers Education this project, local leaders will be elected 13 were injured in road accident (NCCWE) were attended the seminar. amidst from waste pickers. OSHE will whereas 104 were injured and 24 were Ms. Protima Paul Majumder, President organize basic leadership and died by attacks of miscreants or of Karmojibi Nari was presided the organizing training to develop future violence. The survey showed that 13 seminar while Assistant Director of Md. skilled leaders so that they would workers were died by hijacker or robber. Omar Faruq presented the key note. endeavor to ensure decent work for While the second highest number of themselves. The speakers also gave workers’ casualties (Died - 91 and Md. Omar said in his key note that emphasis on organizing because Injured - 30) in construction (Household Bangladesh Bureau Statistics (BBS) organized people are successful people. related/ personally) sector. The survey 2010 and Asian Development Bank Besides more initiatives like weekly showed that in construction sector both (ADB) showed that there are 54.1 million study circle and health camp after each formal and informal sector accident workers in the country. 88 percent of two months would be organizing within happened for electrocution, fall from them are informal workers among them project period etc. heights, building/roof collapse etc. 43% are agriculture workers. At national growth of economy it provides 43%. All the participants from Boilapur, Moreover 82 (natural disaster- 56, Nonetheless these huge workforces are Daspara and Kunda took part in the electrocution- 10 etc) workers death and away from legal rights. program actively through sharing their 27 (natural disaster- 18, electrocution- 6) knowledge and views. A total of 26 injuries were seen in agriculture sector. Mr. Fazla Hassain Badsha MP said in waste pickers; 17 female, 08 male and his speech that agriculture workers are one child waste pickers were Among other, day labour (27), Fisheries always deprived from their rights. So he participated in these sensitization (26), domestic workers (23), hawkers demanded for agriculture labour court. meetings. (12), stone workers (10), gold smith (6), others workers (19), various mechanic Ms. Shirin Akter said in her opinion that In this program also presented Mr. Alam (19) were victimized accident either died existing labour law for formal sector Hossain, Manager- Finance and Admin, or injured. should be implemented at field level teachers of Karmojibi Shishu School, besides she claimed for different law for Sazzad Kabir Bhuyan, APO and others OSHE workplace accident survey report informal sector. She also said if want to personnel of OSHE. revealed that major causes of achieve the Prime Minister announced 02 Work Improvement and Occupational Safety & Health in Small Construction Enterprises Training of Trainers (ToT) Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE) organized a three