The Rana Plaza Coordination Committee was established on the 13th of September 2013. Since this date, the Committee worked tirelessly, along with the Rana Plaza Claims Administration, to ensure workers injured at Rana Plaza, and the surviving dependents of those killed received payments to cover the financial losses they incurred as a result of the disaster. Two years later, in October 2015, over $30million had been dispersed to 5109 beneficiaries of the scheme.
The establishment, design and implementation of the Rana Plaza Arrangement was complex and required the RPCC to meet ambitious milestones in order to deliver its objective. Below is a timeline of the important events, and when they were achieved.
20 November 2013: The “Understanding for a Practical Arrangement on Payments to the Victims of the Rana Plaza Accident and their Families and Dependents for their Losses”(known as “the Arrangement”) is agreed by all parties.
2 December 2013: Initial design of the practical scheme is agreed by the RPCC, including the formula for calculating claims and the operational plan for its implementation.
24 December 2013: The Rana Plaza Arrangement is launched publicly with a new website. An appeal is also sent out asking for brands buying from Bangladesh to pledge donations in advance of a Fund being established.
28 January 2014: The Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund is launched, with the ILO as trustee, in order to collect donations from brands and retailers, other organisations wishing to provide solidarity and private individuals.
10 March 2014: the The Rana Plaza Claims Administration (RPCA) opens. In order to reach this point three Commissioners were appointed, an office was located and rented, a team of lawyers, accountants, IT specialists and administration were employed. Agreements for the provision of financial services and a protocol for processing claims is agreed.
24 March 2014: the claims process starts, and the first dependents of Rana Plaza victims submit their claims. The first claimants are supported by the pre-claims team to provide the necessary documents and information
22 April 2014: As the first anniversary of the disaster approaches the RPCC agrees to pay 50,000 TK to each eligible beneficiary as an advance payment towards their claim.
July – August 2014: The RPCC approves awards to 1496 beneficiaries. The wording and process for the Award Notices are agreed and money is transferred from the Rana Plaza Trust Fund to enable payment.
30 September 2014: The claims process is completed and closed for further claims. In total 2798 claims have been submitted for processing
December 2014: All beneficiaries of the 2798 claims made to the Rana Plaza Arrangement have been paid 40% of what they are owed under the scheme. Full payment remains dependent on the Trust Fund meeting its $30 million target.
3 December 2014: In recognition of the fact some awards, particularly for less severely injured workers, are lower than expected, the RPCC approves the payment of supplementary awards to ensure a minimum payment is guaranteed for all claims. The supplementary payments will be dependent on the Rana Plaza Trust Fund meeting its target of $30 million.
8 April 2015: Following a round of new donations in the run up to the second anniversary of Rana Plaza, a further 30% is paid to the beneficiaries of the 2798 claims already approved by the RPCC
8 June 2015: The target of $30 million required to complete the Arrangement is met by the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund, 18 months after it initially launched.
25 July 2015: The remaining 30% of the awards are paid to the beneficiaries. A further 48 awards are approved and paid in full.
September 2015: Agreement reached between the RPCC and the Bangladesh NGO, BRAC, for the provision of future medical care to seriously injured claimants.
October 2015: 8 additional awards are agreed and paid out. Supplementary payments to 3120 beneficiaries are also dispersed. This marks the final round of payments under the Rana Plaza Arrangement. November 2015 The RPCA begins the process of closing down its office. 7 February 2016 Compliance audit of the RPCA, which included the verification of amount payed to claimants, completed. The RPCA office is closed.
6 October 2016: The Trust for Injured Workers’ Medical Care Including Rana Plaza Workers is established, with representatives of the government, the employers federation and the trade unions as trustees. As part of its work the Trust will provide ongoing medical support for less severely injured workers, including physiotherapy and counseling services.