Labour rights groups estimate that more than EUR54m (US$71m) in long-term compensation payments are due to victims of the Rana Plaza factory complex collapse in Bangladesh last month.
More than 1,100 people lost their lives in the collapsed building, Bangladesh's largest industrial tragedy, and an estimated 1650 workers were admitted to hospital.
The calculation is based on ILO standards and an established formula developed following previous fire and safety accidents in Bangladesh, developed by Bangladeshi and international trade unions.
It is based on BDT500,000 (US$6,423) for pain and suffering per worker, and loss of income based on an average salary of BDT5833 per month (which includes two months bonus per year) for 10 years (injured workers) and 25 years (deceased workers). Wages are annually adjusted for inflation.
However, the exact calculation for amount and duration of the compensation for injured workers will depend on the nature of their injuries and whether or not they will be able to work again.
Activists are set to stage protests across Europe today (24 May) calling on major brands to pay compensation for fire and building collapse victims in Bangladesh.
The protests take place exactly one month after the Rana Plaza factory collapse and exactly six months after the Tazreen fire killed 1239 in total.
So far, only Primark has said it will pay long-term compensation to the victims of Rana Plaza - as well as agreeing to provide all victims with short-term financial assistance, including those who made clothing for its competitors.
El Corte Ingles (Spain), Loblaw (Canada), PVT (Denmark), Matalan (UK) and Premier Clothing (UK) have also said they will make some form of financial contribution to the workers.
According to the Clean Clothes Campaign, only Benetton (Italy), Bon Marche (UK), CatoFashions (US), The Children's Place (US), El Corte Ingles (Spain), Joe Fresh (Loblaws, Canada), Kik (Germany), Mango (Spain), Matalan (UK), Primark (UK/Ireland) and Texman (Denmark) have acknowledged recent production or orders with the factories in the Rana Plaza complex.
But the remaining 40 or so other brands linked to them are yet to come forward to confirm their relationship, thus slowing down the process for distributing compensation.
