It is inconceivable that three years since the coronavirus wreaked havoc on the lives of workers in export-oriented industries, the government is yet to disburse the total amount received from foreign donors as compensation for affected workers. Following widespread cancellation and postponement of orders from global buyers, which led to mass layoffs of Bangladeshi workers at a time of great economic vulnerability, the European Union (EU) and the German government jointly provided assistance of 113.5 million euros, equivalent to about Tk 1,135 crore, to workers who lost their jobs in the garment, leather, and footwear industries. In addition to the initial aid, the government contributed an additional Tk 365 crore, bringing the total fund to Tk 1,500 crore. A recent Prothom Alo report revealed that workers have only received Tk 9 crore of the fund so far.

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The desperate plight of workers in pandemic

What can possibly explain this delay in providing much-needed assistance to the workers? Respective factories and four owners' and manufacturers' associations were primarily responsible for creating the list of eligible workers, and the Department of Labour, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, was in charge of implementation. During the pandemic, the owners as well as the government cried themselves a river highlighting how workers had been left at the lurch; yet it appears that once the funds came to the country, none of the above-mentioned stakeholders took the process seriously. Labour representatives who could have helped identify affected workers and guide them, for reasons best known to our policymakers, were left out of the whole process.

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Unpacking the Covid-19 stimulus packages: The devil is in the details

The authorities tasked with disbursing the funds claim it was difficult to find affected workers to receive compensation based on conditions specified by the government. If the policy was too stringent, then why, in the past three years, was it not re-evaluated and revised? Why were labour representatives not consulted, when it became glaringly obvious that the owners could not, or would not, do their due diligence? What does it say to our foreign donors if this is how we fail to utilise their funds? Millions of workers in the export-oriented industries were affected during Covid, but our government's lacklustre attitude in finding those in need speaks volumes about its commitment—or lack thereof—to workers. The failure to include labour unions in the process also raises serious concerns about transparency of the implementation process.

We urge the Department of Labour to address the issue urgently, keeping in mind that the money belongs to the workers. Any further delay will be a great disservice to them and undo the goodwill of our bilateral donors.