Labour rights experts and trade union leaders on Tuesday urged the government to ensure freedom of association and compliance with international labour standards in the ongoing reform of the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006.
Speaking at a stakeholders鈥� meeting on labour law reforms, organised by the Solidarity Center at a city hotel, they also said that the proposed amendments must safeguard workers鈥� representation, collective bargaining and workplace fairness.
They observed that while more than 180 amendment proposals had been reviewed by the government, the real challenge lay in whether the changes would make trade union registration easier and protect workers from retaliation.
Labour Reform Commission chair Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed said that the commission had gathered input from all labour stakeholders but key recommendations 鈥� such as the number of workers required to form a union 鈥� remain unresolved.
Solidarity Center country programme director AKM Nasim said that the chief adviser had assured that the commission鈥檚 recommendations would be implemented, adding that workers must not be disappointed after years of consultation.
Karmojibi Nari additional executive director Sunzida Sultana said that a labour law that excluded informal and women workers could not be considered complete.
A keynote paper presented at the event proposed allowing workers in factories with at least 20 employees to form trade unions, replacing the existing requirement of 20 per cent of the workforce, to make union formation more inclusive.
It also called for a transparent and verifiable system for confirming worker numbers to prevent arbitrary rejection of applications.
The experts and union leaders expressed concern over the proposed cap of five unions per factory, warning that it could encourage employer-controlled or 鈥榶ellow鈥� unions.
They also criticised the requirement for a union to secure support from over 50 per cent of workers to be recognised as a collective bargaining agent, calling it a step backward that would weaken bargaining power.
The other recommendations included ensuring timely trade union elections, reforming labour courts to expedite dispute resolution and extending greater protection to tea plantation and informal sector workers, particularly women who make up over 90 per cent of the informal workforce.
Among others, Bangladesh Revolutionary Garment Workers鈥� Federation president Salahuddin Shapon, Rajshahi University professor Jakir Hossain, Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments law officer Masum Billah and BLAST legal director Md Borkot Ali also spoke at the event.
