Labour law bill passed limiting TU

The House yesterday passed a bill amending the Bangladesh Labour Act to limit the number of trade unions at the Chittagong and Mongla ports.

State Minister for Labour and Employment Ministry Munnuzan Sufian proposed the passage of the bill and lawmakers voted in favour of it.

A number of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami lawmakers opposed the bill and asked to send it to the relevant committee for further scrutiny. But their proposals were not placed in the parliament, as they were absent.

Employees of the ports will now be allowed to collectively form one trade body at each of the ports, says the bill.

According to the bill, trade union must be formed in line with the provisions of the act within six months from the date of enforcement of the law and with the formation of the unions all the existing trade bodies will be dissolved.

The bill makes a provision on qualification of workers saying that one can be registered as a member of trade union on completion of one year's service.

The Act empowered the government to control the activities of trade unions and it may cancel registration of a trade body on grounds of violation of the law.

Workers' provident fund, gratuity and welfare fund will be put under the jurisdiction of the port authorities concerned and the authorities will maintain and conduct those.