Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said her government is going to introduce a long-term and sustainable Employment Injury Scheme soon to ensure better benefits and support for workers.

"In the wake of recent incidents in RMG factories, we've got an impression that we need huge funds to provide compensations in case of any severe accident. The way-out is to introduce a long-term and sustainable employment injury scheme. We've already started working to this end," she said.

Sheikh Hasina was addressing a function marking the distribution of cheques of financial assistance among 64 people, including successors of the deceased workers and their meritorious children studying in medical, engineering and agriculture disciplines, from the fund of Bangladesh Workers Welfare Foundation at her office.

She said representatives of the government, owners and workers have already made a visit to Germany to know about the employment injury scheme and they have gained practical knowledge. "We want to introduce this in Bangladesh very soon and if it happens, the workers will get more support. I hope owners, workers and the organisations concerned will work sincerely to this end."

Terming workers the 'main force' of development, the Prime Minister said it is the duty and responsibility of her government to look into their welfare and wellbeing, and the AL government has been working tirelessly in this regard.

She urged the workers to work sincerely in their respective industries and factories from which are the source of their livelihood. "I'll also call upon the owners to be more sympathetic to the workers and look after their welfare."

Hasina said there is a provision in the Bangladesh Labour Act to provide proper compensation to the deceased workers if they die in accidents or from occupational diseases and if they lose their working capacity.

She said an initiative has been taken to set up an Occupational Disease Hospital for the first time in the country under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) to ensure better healthcare of workers and improved treatment while 33 percent of the hospital beds would be kept reserved for the industry workers.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour and Employment Ministry Begum Munnujan Sufian also spoke at the programme held with State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu in the chair.