VAW; Case story-
“I think this is the first time a worker in our factory has paid to her maternity benefit” said Laboni, an RMG worker from Four Brothers Group of Factories. She has been working as a machine operator for three and a half year in this factory. Her husband Md. Nasir is also an RMG worker at the Shinest Garments Limited nearby their residence. 22-year-old Laboni Akter started working in factory after she got married.
“I & my husband both attended the awareness raising training of SRS in the month of August, 2021. That time I came to know about maternity benefit entitlement.
I was pregnant for six months then” stated Laboni. Earlier she & her husband both informed the management and floor supervisor verbally about Laboni’s child expectancy and showed the ultrasound report, but both the supervisor and management did not consider rather started giving workload to Laboni so that she signs away her entitlements and job.
This couple is not financially stable. If anyone of them leaves work and start staying home, they will be in trouble financially. In this circumstance, on early September she contacted to SRS seeking support to get her maternity benefit from her factory. After getting legal suggestion from the SRS- AAB project team, Laboni sent a registry notice (drafted by SRS) for maternity benefit to her factory management. She was threatened by her management to get dismissed from work for this registry notice. As to SRS’s suggestion, she called over 16357- DIFE helpline to complain on receiving threats from factory management for sending registry letter for maternity benefit entitlement.
A few weeks later, with a great surprise the management itself called Laboni to meet them. She was paid her first installment of maternity benefit with leave permission in the month of October 2021. Moreover, she was paid off rest of her entitlements after giving birth to a child in the first week of December.
Laboni is eagerly waiting to continue work when her maternity leave ends. Besides, she has informed her colleagues about their rights and responsibilities those learned from SRS training. She wants to learn more and help others and also expressed willingness to take help further when necessary.
