Health service, protection, a legal right of labourers
Says law minister
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq yesterday urged all relevant stakeholders, including, owners, labourers and government to work sincerely in order to ensure a congenial atmosphere at workplaces, saying that having health service and protection is the legal right of every labourer.
"The number of industries and factories have increased in Bangladesh to a large scale creating numerous new workplaces. The country's export businesses have flourished worldwide. It is very urgent to maintain international standard in every sector of production, including, ensuring health security of labourers."
He was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar held on the occasion of National Occupational Health and Safety Day in Dhaka. Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments organised the programme at Osmani Memorial Hall.
He added it is necessary to properly enforce the Bangladesh Labour Law and Bangladesh Labour Rules and to implement the coordinated initiatives from all stakeholders in order to ensure amiable work environment.
Speaking as special guest, State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian told the seminar that the government has started working to include the workers of institutional and non-institutional sectors of the country in the database under the Bangladesh Labour Information Management System.
"An initiative has been taken to introduce universal pension for the labourers. We have amended the Bangladesh Labour Law in 2013 and 2018. We have taken an initiative further to amend this law in order to protect labour rights. The amended law will be applicable even at the economic zones."
"A helpline and a training programme has been introduced for enhancing the standard of labour inspection in EPZs. Our labour inspectors are visiting the EPZ areas. I am optimistic that occupational health and safety for the working people will be ensured through these functions," she added.
Labour ministry's Secretary Ehsan-E-Elahi presided over the seminar where Inspector General of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, Md Nasir Uddin Ahmed; Directorate General of Department of Labour, Khaled Mamun Chowdhury; Head of Cooperation of Canadian High Commission in Dhaka, Joe Goodings; ILO Country Director Tuomo Poutiainen and Jatiya Sramik League President Noor Kutub Alam Mannan, among others spoke at the event.
Meanwhile, after the invited guests left the place around 12:30pm, tremendous mismanagement, chaos, shouting and even scuffle erupted among the attendants, mostly leaders and workers of Jatiya Sramik League, and organisers of the function as the exit gates of the Osmani Memorial Hall were kept closed for around 15 minutes.
The organisers kept the gates closed in order to distribute gift bags and food-packets among them.