A total of 97 garment workers and employee from 24 districts and nine industrial belts were infected with corona virus as of Thursday, according to findings of a right group.
They alleged that non-effective lockdown and reopening of factories without adequate safety preparations were responsible for the rise in Covid-19 spread among garment workers.
Bangladesh Garment Workers’ Solidarity disclosed the findings on corona infected garment workers details on Thursday.
According to the paper, the highest number of 26 corona infected workers is from Narayanganj followed by 24 at Savar, 14 at Gazipur, seven at Ashulia, six at Dhaka, each two at Mymenshing and Chattogram and each one at Manikganj and Jeshore. The rest 14 are from rest of the country.
Out of the infected workers, 53 per cent are male and 47 per cent are women, it showed.
About 50 per cent of the infected workers are aged between 25 to 35, 40 per cent belong to 18 to 25 years old and the rest 10 per cent are over 35 years old.
The report said majority or 52 per cent workers infection were reported since April 26 to till date, the highest number and speedy spread was recorded within last 12 days especially after garment factories reopened since April 26.
Out of the 97 infected, one is an official while rest are workers, it said adding the treatment details of some 46 were available.
Out of 46, some 16 are under institutional quarantine while the rest are home quarantine, it said.
The group expressed fear over successful home quarantine and risk of their family members and neighbours to contamination saying they live tiny and congested space.
Since April 3, a total of 11 workers including one official died and three were corona positive while the rest died with corona symptoms, it claimed.
The right group in the report said the young workers who were supposed to be cautious over the health safety, they couldn’t as they were concerned over their livelihood and job security.
The uncertainty over job, termination, factory layoffs, announcement of 65 per cent of gross wages in April, reopening of factories had forced them to undergo untold sufferings and they were not able to abide by the health guidelines, they added.
“The situation created by both the government and the factory owners did not allow workers to be cautious about health risks,” the group alleged.
Workers were not forced to rejoin their workplaces if there were no uncertainty over livelihood, wages and food, they added.
They made a seven-point recommendations that included reconsider the reopening of factory and disinfection of the factories that had infected workers by announcing lockdown.
They demanded effective lockdown for all citizen including workers and disclose the details of infected workers, factory names and their location to help minimize the spread.
They also demanded designated hospitals for workers, disclosing the details of their treatment and family situation. They demanded that government, factory owners and buyers will have to ensure proper treatment of infected workers.
Their other demands included full month wage payment instead of 65 per cent, stop termination and factory layoff, forming emergency health and safety fund by government, owners and buyers and adequate compensation for dead workers and their families.
The Industrial Police said 3492 out of 7,602 industrial units, including ready-made garment factories, under its jurisdiction remained open on Thursday.
Of the units, 1,367 are non-garment and 304 under the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority or BEPZA.
Of the units in operation, 1,269 are BGMEA members, 369 registered with the BKMEA and 183 listed with the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association.
A total of 494 factories did not pay wages for March and other allowances until Thursday.
Of them, 318 are non-RMG, seven BEPZA members and the remaining 169 textile and garment factories affiliated with the three trade bodies.
Workers from some three factories from Ashulia, two from Narayanganj and four from Gazipur demonstrated demanding March wages, reopening the factories, full wage payment and full operation of factory production, according to police.
Munni_fe@yahoo.com
