Amend the law to protect workers’ rights
There is a lot of work to do on labour rights, collective bargaining and freedom of association. Discussions have been taking place on these matters for a long time but there is no progress.
Terming the Export Processing Zones (EPZ) Labour Act 2019 discriminatory, speakers have called upon the government to amend the law in consultation with all stakeholders including labour unions to protect workers' rights.
While pointing out how the workers are being deprived of their rights under the EPZ Labour Act, they said there was no discussion with trade unions and their recommendations were not accepted during its enactment.
They said this at a stakeholders' meeting on "Workers' Rights in the EPZ -- The Reality" organised by Solidarity Center Bangladesh at a hotel in Dhaka yesterday.
In his keynote presentation, Solidarity Center Bangladesh Program Officer Mohammad Nazrul Islam said workers welfare association is prohibited to establish any connection not only with the NGOs but also with the trade unions and federations outside the EPZ area.
"Therefore, the ability of workers welfare associations (WWA) to seek redress for non-implementation of labour rights or industrial relations regulation gets limited," he said.
As per the minimum wage announced in 2018, half of the total workers get a 10 percent raise on their basic salary per annum; the rest get a 5 percent increment.
There are instances where the rules are not maintained. "Only 10 percent of workers get a 10-percent raise and the rest are given a five percent," said Mansur Molla, president of WWA of an EPZ.
Nazrul Islam said the BEPZA has curtailed the benefits of workers in the EPZ Labour Rules. According to the EPZ Labour Act, a worker will get 45 days' wage as compensation during retirement, but it was curtailed to 30 days in the rules.
Tuomo Poutiainen, director, International Labour Organization, said there is a lot of work to do on labour rights, collective bargaining and freedom of association. Discussions have been taking place on these matters for a long time but there is no progress.
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