The government has expanded the coverage of the pilot Bangladesh RMG employment injury scheme to include compensation for accidents that may occur when workers are commuting to and from work.
The governance board of the employment injury scheme pilot in its 8th meeting held on Monday approved the inclusion of 鈥榗ommuting accidents鈥� as industrial accidents, making them eligible for compensation payout starting from July 1.
鈥榃e are very pleased to include commuting accidents in the employment injury scheme pilot to ensure protection of industries and workers in Bangladesh,鈥� labour secretary Md Mahbub Hossain said.
Under the technical supports from the International Labour Organisation and GIZ, the EIS pilot has been compensating injured workers and the dependents of deceased workers in the Bangladesh RMG sector for work-related accidents since June 21, 2022.
The ILO initiative is funded by the Netherlands government and Canada, whereas the GIZ initiative is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The decision for the inclusion of 鈥榗ommuting accidents鈥� was unanimously supported by the Bangladesh Employers Federation, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, workers鈥� organisations and government agencies, who are the members of the EIS pilot governance board, said a statement issued by the ILO on Tuesday.
In the meeting, ILO experts provided insights into key aspects of the technical and financial aspects of such an expansion, including conditions for considering commuting accidents as workplace accidents but keeping separate records as these accidents take place outside the factory and not identifying them with any factory.
Additionally, they presented a strong case for the financial sustainability of the coverage of accidents under the EIS pilot.
The ILO statement mentioned that employers鈥� associations responded positively over the inclusion of commuting accidents, saying that they support fundamental rights of workers for social protection and would be happy to consider new benefits provided they do not affect the industry鈥檚 competitiveness.
The workers鈥� representatives said that RMG sector was a relatively safe sector, however, road travel was the most horrible part of this job, therefore commuting accidents were important to be covered.
鈥榃ith this inclusion of commuting accidents, the initiative is expected to provide enhanced protection to workers and improve industrial relations, which are often disrupted by accidents involving workers on their way to or from work,鈥� said Tuomo Poutiainen, ILO country director for Bangladesh.