They said the government should make it mandatory for the employers through legal framework to give financial contribution to the foundation.

The demands came at a view exchange meeting on implementation of Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation Act 2006 at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the city. Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), Oxfam GB, Awaj Foundation, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Incidin Bangladesh, National Garments Workers Federation (NGWF) and Karmojibi Nari jointly organised the programme.

According to the act that came into effect on October 1, a full time director general should be appointed for the foundation, but a joint secretary of the labour ministry has been appointed in the post, the speakers said.

"A full time director general for the foundation is very important for making it effective in true sense," said Dr Wajedul Islam Khan, acting secretary general of BILS.

He said there are eight joint secretaries of different ministries in the board, but changes in their posts and transfers change the government representation to the foundation, which will be a setback for the board to implement the law.

Lauding framing of the law that also included the workers of the informal sector, BILS Assistant Executive Director Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed said around three crore workers that is 80 percent of the total number of workers are deprived of due facilities and protection.

"The workers, especially those who work in the small factories at the peripheries of the cities, have no medical and urban facilities in cases of occupational accidents," he said, adding that effectiveness of the foundation is therefore very important.

NGWF Secretary General Amirul Haque Amin said most of the workers that also include a notable number of women workers are now out of the government's welfare and social protection schemes. In many cases, the workers also do not get the benefits provided by the government, he noted.

He said the foundation should prioritise the issues of informal sector workers' insurance, medical facilities and rehabilitation of the workers in the cases of accidents, injuries and deaths, scholarships for the talented children of the workers, and ensuring fees during maternity leave of the women workers.

The foundation should also train up the workers who are getting unemployed because of the technological changes and create employment opportunities for them, said Amin, who read the written speech at the programme.

Rina Roy, director of Manusher Jonno, Nazma Akhter, general secretary of Awaj Foundation, Farida Yasmin, deputy director of BLAST, Advocate Rafiqul Alam of Incidin Bangaldesh and Alok Sarker of Karmojibi Nari also spoke at the programme.