7 percent workers of transport sector, shops, and hotel-restaurant who lost job during the pandemic are sill jobless, finds a new survey of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS).
About 87 percent of these types of workers lost job during the corona crisis.
The findings of the survey titled ‘Determining the recent lockdown effect on transport, shop-showroom, hotel-restaurant labourers of Dhaka City’ were revealed on Thursday.
Out of the 87 percent job losers, 95 percent workers are from transport sector, 83 percent from shops and 82 percent from hotel and restaurants.
Some 93 percent of job losers were reinstated after lockdown.
However, part-time jobs in these sectors rose as high as 215 percent during the lockdown period, the survey revealed.
On the other hand, 73 percent working days declined in three sectors during the lock down with transport sector losing the highest 92 percent working days.
Transport labourers saw 96 percent income decline and hotel-restaurant workers lost 83 percent of their income.
Before the lockdown, a worker had earned Tk 13,578 per month, but it came down to Tk 2,524 during the lockdown.
Again, the income surged to Tk 12,529 after the lockdown.
The deficit between the worker families’ income and expenditure was 77 percent. Transport workers’ families saw the highest 97 percent deficit while it was 46 percent among small shopkeepers.
At that time, 20 percent labourer managed their living cost by selling properties, decreasing food intake and sending their under aged children to work.
Some 80 percent labourers met their living cost through borrowing and spending from their savings.
After lockdown, their savings declined by 64 percent and number of workers able to save money declined by 50 percent.
Below 1 percent labourers of these three sectors received government incentives, according to the survey.
BILS made 10-point recommendations, including preparing full database of private sector labourers, introducing identity card for all employees, creating an institutional framework to help workers during natural disasters, providing corona vaccine, and providing compulsory insurance facilities.
BILS deputy director (research) Md Monirul Islam presented the survey report at a press briefing at BILS’s Dhanmondi office.
BILS vice-chairman Amirul Haque Amin, directors Kohinoor Mahmud and Najma Yeasmin were present on the occasion.
