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News & Press Releases - Employment Injury Scheme (EIS)

Speakers’ Tour highlights need for sustainable accident insurance in Bangladesh

From 5 to 14 April 2024, FEMNET welcomed Tithi Afrin and Md. Shahinur Rahman from Bangladesh. The trade unionist Afrin and the labour law expert Rahman travelled through Germany together with FEMNET and gave insights into the current situation in the textile factories on their tour in universities and at evening events in various cities and presented the accident insurance in Bangladesh, the Employment Injury Scheme (EIS).

Why employer-funded accident insurance is so important in Bangladesh

Discussion event at Hannover University of Applied Sciences © Mel RangelAfter the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, safety in the factories has greatly improved. The legally binding agreement on fire and building safety, the Accord, was able to prevent major disasters, but not all accidents can be prevented. For example, the maintenance of boilers in the factories is also a challenge, as audits are delayed due to a lack of personnel at the responsible institution, the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC). The high risk of deferred boiler inspections became clear in 2017 when 13 workers in the Multifabs factory died in an explosion. Workers are also exposed to risks from other hazards, such as the operation of machines. Therefore, it is essential that accident insurance according to international standards, such as the ILO Convention 121, sufficiently supports workers and their families in the event of an accident. The Employment Injury Scheme, implemented in 2022, is a pilot project to close this gap and pave the way for sustainable employer-funded accident insurance in Bangladesh.

Tithi Afrin and Md. Shahinur Rahman: Voices from Bangladesh

Tithi Afrin and Md. Shahinur Rahman in the circle of FEMNET members and employees at Filmhaus Köln © FEMNETFEMNET supports this pioneering project, which was initiated by the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), among others, and contributes to making the project known to brands, organisations and the general public. In April 2024, the trade unionist Tithi Afrin and the labour law expert Md. Shahinur Rahman is invited. Afrin works as a coordinator for the NGWF (National Garment Workers Federation) on minimum wages and social security. In addition, she deals with the needs and demands of women in the clothing industry and provides training for workers on the EIS. Shahinur Rahman has been cooperating with trade unions, labour rights organisations and brands for 15 years and has trained 32 trade unionists on the EIS in cooperation with FEMNET and GIZ.

Insight and exchange: The Speakers’ Tour of Germany

Lecture at HTW Berlin © FEMNETFor seven days they travelled with FEMNET from Bonn via Mönchengladbach, Düsseldorf and Cologne to Hanover, Berlin and Hamburg. On the tour, the two visited four universities and reached a total of over 100 students. More than 150 people attended the evening events in Düsseldorf, Cologne, Berlin and Hamburg. After the inputs of the two, there was room for an exchange with the visitors. Afrin, who travelled to Europe for the first time, was pleased with the response: “We have received a great deal of interest. The visitors asked many in-depth questions and lively discussions arose about the responsibilities of companies, consumers and politicians.” A large proportion of the visitors indicated in a subsequent evaluation that they now want to take action themselves.

Achievements of the EIS pilot project

The EIS pilot is already supported by over 45 brands such as Amazon, C&A, H&M, Inditex, Primark and Puma. At the general meeting of the Textile Alliance, Afrin and Rahman were invited to report on the developments of the pilot and thus had the opportunity to inform other brands about the EIS. Building on these conversations, FEMNET offered webinars in July, encouraging other brands such as Mango and Olymp to support the EIS project as well. The EIS pays compensation to workers who have become permanently incapacitated as a result of an accident at work and to families who have lost a family member as a result of an accident at work. In addition to monthly payments, data on accidents in the textile industry are also collected and calculations are made on the financial expenses of sustainable accident insurance. These two components aim to ensure capacity building and sustainable accident insurance is enshrined in labour law by the Government of Bangladesh after the end of the pilot phase. First In August, after strong protests and the resignation of the Prime Minister, a new transitional government was formed in Bangladesh. Human and labour rights activists now hope that the voices of the trade unions and workers will be heard more in the future.