Bill placed in JS to curb TU rights

The government placed a bill in parliament yesterday seeking to amend the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 to limit the number of trade unions at the Chittagong and Mongla ports for ensuring better management.
Labour and Employment Minister Eng Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain placed the bill, which was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry concerned for scrutiny and placing report in parliament.
Once the proposed law is enforced, employees of the ports will be allowed to collectively form only one trade body at their work places.
Similarly, other workers and employees appointed by different berth-operators, ship handling operators and other organisations concerned to the two ports can collectively form one trade union at each port of Chittagong and Mongla.
Employees appointed by owners of different authorities at the two ports will be allowed to form one trade union at each port.
“Trade union must be formed in line with the provisions of the act within six months since the date of enforcement of the law,” a provision of the bill said.
With the formation of the new trade unions under the new law, all the existing trade unions will be dissolved, according to a provision of the bill.
The bill also proposed to make provision on qualification of workers to be enrolled as members of the trade unions saying one can be registered as member of the trade union on completion of one year's service.
A provision of the bill empowered the government to control the activities of the trade union and it may cancel registration of a trade body for violation of the law.
Despite dissolution of the dockworkers management boards at Chittagong port and Mongla port, all officials and employees of the boards will be engaged as officials and employees of the Chittagong port authority and Mongla port authority under the same terms of reference of their job.
Their provident fund, gratuity and welfare fund will be put under the jurisdiction of the port authorities concerned and the port authorities will maintain and conduct those.
The immediate past caretaker government through promulgating an ordinance brought almost similar amendments to the Bangladesh labour law. But the ordinance ceased to have effect, as it was not ratified in parliament within the stipulated timeframe.
Under such circumstances, the labour and employment minister came up with the bill and proposed a provision to give legal coverage of the activities done under the now defunct ordinance.
In defence of the bill, the labour and employment minister said on introduction of the new legal provisions, discipline and functioning capacity of the two ports will be increased and the new legal provisions will also play an important role in ensuring welfare of the workers.