On 30 April, the Center for Migration Studies (CMS) and the Department of Law at North South University marked the celebration of the International Labour Day through a roundtable on “Labour Laws and Challenges in Protecting the Rights of Workers in Bangladesh”.
The roundtable drew notable attendance from government officials, employers’ associations, labour rights activists, trade unions, and academic researchers who engaged in discussions on the protection of worker rights and the effectiveness of labour laws in Bangladesh.
Dr. Selim Reza, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the CMS, moderated the roundtable discussion that included insights from prominent panelists. Mr. Mohammad Hossain Sarkar, Joint Secretary (Export Section) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, GoB, said that the current Bangladesh government is committed to work with labour organizations, trade unions, international development partners, and developed countries in a diligent manner as it aims to improve and sustain labour rights in Bangladesh. Besides, the government is continuously working to amend existing labour laws for better protection of workers in all sectors. He further stated that the current government is sincerely attending to the international pressures to improve labour conditions so that we could get the maximum benefits from our international export destinations.
Mr. Syed Sultan Ahmed, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), opined that the existing wage structure in the country is below the living wage, and many qualified professionals including doctors and executives in multinationals are struggling to make a decent living. He mentioned that the workers in the informal sector must be protected. He recommended an international standard national minimum wage for the workers in Bangladesh.
Mr. Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, Vice President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said that it is important that the relevant stakeholders consider all the labourers across different sectors rather than focusing on one particular sector such as readymade garments only. In addition, he emphasized that the relationship between workers and employers should be guided by solid trust. He suggested that social protection must be ensured equally for all workers.
Advocate AKM Nasim, Country Program Director, Solidarity Center, Bangladesh Office, stated that the amendment of the Labour Law is a trauma for many labourers. He underscored the problems that arise with fundamental definitional ambiguities in the Labour Law. He suggested that collective bargaining mechanisms should be strengthened in order to ensure the freedom of association for all workers including those who are working in the Export Processing Zones (EPZs).
Mr. Mohammad Nazmul Avi Hossain, Senior Program Officer, International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office, Bangladesh highlighted the significant initiatives of ILO for improving the working conditions and labour sector reforms. He argued that labour rights would be a key issue when Bangladesh will graduate from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status. He suggested that the child labour issue must be addressed in order to ensure international standard labour conditions in Bangladesh.
Panel discussants appreciated North South University’s commitment towards promoting the protection of worker rights through the roundtable. While discussing safe and fair working conditions, they emphasized the need for the inclusion of informal sector workers in national labour policies through enhancing collaborative efforts between the policy makers and private sector stakeholders.
Dr. Selim Reza, Coordinator of the CMS and the Moderator of the roundtable discussion, mentioned that the CMS has been working on various labour issues not only because of its academic responsibility but also a purely humanistic and moral commitment that urges for protecting the rights of workers. He appreciated the thoughtful insights coming out of the panel discussion. The CMS at NSU will continue similar discussions to unpack critical labour issues in the future as well, he expressed his optimism. The insights and recommendations from this roundtable will be compiled into a policy brief which will be shared with relevant stakeholders to guide future advocacy and policy-making efforts, he mentioned.
Professor Abdur Rob Khan, Treasurer and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Acting) of North South University, delivered the closing remarks. He suggested continuing similar roundtables in the future where NSU students will get an excellent opportunity to interact directly with renowned labour rights experts.
The roundtable concluded with a vote of thanks from Barrister Arafat Hosen Khan, Chairman of the Department of Law, who expressed gratitude to all panelists and participants for their valuable contributions towards a very lively exchange of ideas.
