Labour bill passed at JS
The Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed in parliament last night, aiming to give more facilities to workers and reducing workers' threshold to 20 percent from the existing 30 percent for forming trade unions.
State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque placed the bill, which was passed by voice vote.
The bill was prepared and updated following observations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) to make it labourer-friendly.
Under the proposed law, no child will be allowed to work in factories, and fine for employing child workers will be Tk 5,000.
The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment has been upgraded to the level of Directorate in the bill.
Under the proposed law, mentally and physically-challenged labourers cannot be employed in any risky work.
According to section 47 of the draft, if any female worker gives birth without informing the authorities concerned, she will get an eight-week leave within three days of informing the authorities. If the factory authorities do not allow her to go on leave, they will be fined Tk 25,000.
Besides, if a worker works during any festival, they will get a one-day leave and wage for two days after the festival.
Both owners and workers will be sentenced to one-year jail with a fine of Tk 10,000 for misconduct, which was two years in the previous law.
In case of natural death, family of the worker concerned will get Tk 2 lakh as compensation, which was Tk 1 lakh in the previous law. In case of injury, compensation will be Tk 2.5 lakh, which is currently Tk 1.25 lakh.
The support of 51 percent workers is needed (against present two-thirds of total workers) to call a strike. Illegal enforcement of strike will also be considered misconduct.
If anyone is found to be a member of multiple trade unions simultaneously, they will be sentenced to one month's imprisonment, which was six months in the previous law.
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