https://www.newagebd.net/article/10...n-workers-denied-relief-living-in-uncertainty
Jobless construction workers denied relief, living in uncertainty
Ershad Kamol | Published: 01:23, Apr 17,2020
Thousands of jobless construction workers in Dhaka are unable to maintain their daily family meal while the government agencies are allegedly denying them relief even after getting lists from their representatives.
Imarat Nirman Sramik Union Bangladesh general secretary Abdur Razzaq said that workers did not get any relief or any promise of getting it later even after perusing the labour ministry, department of labour, district administrations and city corporations since March 31 with lists of destitute construction workers.
‘Labour ministry secretary KM Ali Azam and labour department director Aminul Islam could not give us any solution while district administration officials said that relief would be distributed by the city corporations,’ Razzaq said.
‘City corporation officials said that they would not provide relief to the workers but the councillors will distribute relief among the destitute of the slums,’ he claimed.
The councillors said that they would distribute relief only after verifying whether they were permanent residents and were national identity card holders, only then would they be able to get relief packages from the corporations, Razzaq claimed.
‘Meanwhile, hundreds of construction workers, now jobless, are living a miserable life during the coronavirus outbreak and they are fuming at us,’ Razzaq said.
INSUB, he said, represents over one lakh out of the estimated 38 lakh construction workers, including, mason, painters, carpenters, rod binders, mosaic workers, sanitary technicians, labourers involved with the construction works.
The labour secretary KM Ali Azam admitted that the ministry could not give immediate support despite getting applications for humanitarian aid from the informal work sectors, including the construction sector.
Lal Miah, a mason from Kajlapar, Jatrabari, said, that he was starving with his four-member family after becoming jobless.
‘I am not a beggar but the situation is forcing me to beg,’ Lal Miah said while weeping.
Abdur Razzaq said that INSUB’s district wings made lists of construction workers and placed those to the deputy commission offices over two weeks back but did not get any support.
‘Labour ministry or directorate of labour officials could not say how to get support from the workers welfare fund or to get access to the prime minister-announced humanitarian package of Tk 760 crore for the non-formal workers,’ he said.
Bangladesh Awami Nirman Sramik League general secretary Mehedi Hasan said that the organisation was making a separate list of its estimated 12,000 members to be placed directly to the Prime Minister’s Office by tomorrow.
‘We will not wait for any official or leader,’ he said.
Dhaka district administration additional deputy commissioner Abul Fateh Mohammad Shafiqul Islam said that the district administration received a list from INSUB and forwarded it to the Dhaka South City Corporation along with several other lists submitted by many other organisations of non-formal workers.
‘As per the rules and latest instructions, city corporations will distribute relief at the doors of the needy through the councillors,’ he said.
Labour secretary Ali Azam said that he would talk to DSCC CEO for finding out an alternative way so that the workers involved with non-formal sector gets relief immediately.
Jobless construction workers denied relief, living in uncertainty
Ershad Kamol | Published: 01:23, Apr 17,2020
Thousands of jobless construction workers in Dhaka are unable to maintain their daily family meal while the government agencies are allegedly denying them relief even after getting lists from their representatives.
Imarat Nirman Sramik Union Bangladesh general secretary Abdur Razzaq said that workers did not get any relief or any promise of getting it later even after perusing the labour ministry, department of labour, district administrations and city corporations since March 31 with lists of destitute construction workers.
‘Labour ministry secretary KM Ali Azam and labour department director Aminul Islam could not give us any solution while district administration officials said that relief would be distributed by the city corporations,’ Razzaq said.
‘City corporation officials said that they would not provide relief to the workers but the councillors will distribute relief among the destitute of the slums,’ he claimed.
The councillors said that they would distribute relief only after verifying whether they were permanent residents and were national identity card holders, only then would they be able to get relief packages from the corporations, Razzaq claimed.
‘Meanwhile, hundreds of construction workers, now jobless, are living a miserable life during the coronavirus outbreak and they are fuming at us,’ Razzaq said.
INSUB, he said, represents over one lakh out of the estimated 38 lakh construction workers, including, mason, painters, carpenters, rod binders, mosaic workers, sanitary technicians, labourers involved with the construction works.
The labour secretary KM Ali Azam admitted that the ministry could not give immediate support despite getting applications for humanitarian aid from the informal work sectors, including the construction sector.
Lal Miah, a mason from Kajlapar, Jatrabari, said, that he was starving with his four-member family after becoming jobless.
‘I am not a beggar but the situation is forcing me to beg,’ Lal Miah said while weeping.
Abdur Razzaq said that INSUB’s district wings made lists of construction workers and placed those to the deputy commission offices over two weeks back but did not get any support.
‘Labour ministry or directorate of labour officials could not say how to get support from the workers welfare fund or to get access to the prime minister-announced humanitarian package of Tk 760 crore for the non-formal workers,’ he said.
Bangladesh Awami Nirman Sramik League general secretary Mehedi Hasan said that the organisation was making a separate list of its estimated 12,000 members to be placed directly to the Prime Minister’s Office by tomorrow.
‘We will not wait for any official or leader,’ he said.
Dhaka district administration additional deputy commissioner Abul Fateh Mohammad Shafiqul Islam said that the district administration received a list from INSUB and forwarded it to the Dhaka South City Corporation along with several other lists submitted by many other organisations of non-formal workers.
‘As per the rules and latest instructions, city corporations will distribute relief at the doors of the needy through the councillors,’ he said.
Labour secretary Ali Azam said that he would talk to DSCC CEO for finding out an alternative way so that the workers involved with non-formal sector gets relief immediately.
