2024-03-13 19:25:21
Despite the global recession and various challenges, the government is determined to create a labor-friendly environment, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Haque said, is taking all steps to create labor relations necessary for the welfare of the working people.
He made this comment on Tuesday at the 350th Governing Body session of the International Labor Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
Anisul Haque said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government is taking steps in the labor sector in the light of the dream of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to build Bangladesh free from poverty and exploitation.
In the light of the Roadmap (2021-26) adopted by the government to improve the life and livelihood of the working people of Bangladesh, the Law Minister highlighted the progress of Bangladesh in four areas: legal reform, trade union registration, labor inspection and other rights of workers.
The proposed Bangladesh Labor Law Amendment Bill reduces the number of workers required for trade union registration from 20 per cent in the industrial sector to 15 per cent and in other sectors from 30 per cent, doubles the penalty for unfair treatment of unions, triples the penalty for illegal closure of factories, quadruples the peace of child labour. The minister mentioned about keeping provisions.
Moreover, in the proposed amendment, he mentioned the addition of provisions related to simplifying the formation and management of trade unions in the civil aviation sector and shipping sector, and simplifying appeals against the judgment of the Labor Appellate Tribunal.
In the proposed amendment, various conventions of the International Labor Organization have been reflected more. Informing the session, the law minister said, if possible, the draft law can be presented in the next session of the National Parliament as soon as possible after proper tripartite discussions.
Anisul Haque said that in addition to the conventional application process, the introduction of online trade union registration, the introduction of pre-application services, training programs have resulted in qualitative and quantitative progress in trade union registration. As a result, registration in the garment sector has increased ninefold in the last nine years, and nearly three million workers are now unionized. Moreover, the success rate of trade union registration applications has increased from 60 percent to 90 percent in the last four years.
Law Minister Anisul Haque said that increasing the post of factory inspectors by two and a half times, introducing inspection modules with the help of digital technology, providing quality training to inspectors has resulted in visible improvement in inspection of factories and establishments. He informed that more than 20,000 inspections were conducted in the last six months of 2020 alone.
In spite of having its own advanced inspection system in EPZs, the factory inspection department under the Ministry of Labor has also started inspection for quality improvement, he said, as a result of the establishment of six new labor courts, a total of 10 labor courts are currently functioning. Besides this, a high powered Alternative Dispute Resolution Cell has been introduced which has disposed of more than ninety percent of the arbitration applications received so far.
Pointing out that the helpline launched by the government to easily file complaints related to the interests of workers has worked successfully, Anisul Haque said that in order to ensure the rights of trade unions and stop discrimination against trade union workers, the government has in the last three years about thirty six thousand workers, managers, owners, concerned government. Provided training to employees, law enforcement personnel. If the government receives a complaint in this regard, it takes prompt arbitration or judicial action through a fair investigation.
In the session, most of the members of the ILO Governing Body spoke appreciating the important progress achieved in this field as a result of various measures taken by the government to establish the rights of working people. They emphasized on maintaining the ILO’s technical assistance in relation to the supervisory bodies along with the speedy implementation of the Roadmap.
Later, Law Minister Anisul Haque met ILO Director General Gilbert Hongbo in a bilateral meeting. In the meeting, the Minister highlighted the steps taken to improve the quality of life of the working people of Bangladesh and requested the continuation of cooperation and partnership with the International Labor Organization in this regard.
Director General Hongbo appreciated the government’s goodwill and progress in implementing the adopted plan. Following the invitation of the Law Minister, the Director General expressed his desire to visit Bangladesh by 2024.
State Minister of Labor in the meeting. Nazrul Islam Chowdhury MP, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh in Geneva, Labor Secretary and International Labor Organization officials participated.