Legal aid cell to help protect workers\\\' rights

Mohammad Ali | Published: January 26, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

The Labour Legal Aid Cell, a government agency, is going to organise awareness programme in order to protect and ensure the rights of the workers especially in the readymade garment (RMG) sector.
"About 30 labour leaders, a number of factory inspectors, representatives from the labour directorate and media houses, and chairmen of the labour courts are set to attend the programme, likely to be held on February 5, 2014," sources at the cell said.
"We are expecting that the programme will suggest specific measures that need to be taken to address the workers' problems and protect their rights, and how the labour legal aid cell can effectively move in this connection," Moshiur Rahman Chowdhury, law officer of the cell, told the FE Saturday.
The participants will also discuss the issues and problems regarding the workers' rights, creating awareness about their rights among all the stakeholders in the sector and finding probable actions, he added.
After the devastating industrial disaster of Rana Plaza, the cell was set up in May last year under the law ministry in order to provide free legal services to the workers to help ensure their rights.
Then Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed formally inaugurated the cell on October 22, 2013.
Since its inception, the Labour Legal Aid Cell received various types of complaints from the workers, most of them are from the RMG sector. The workers made mainly two allegations that include: termination from job without benefit or wage and deduction of wages.
However, the cell cannot provide proper legal services to the workers mainly because they do not have their appointment letters and identity cards.
As their factory owners don't provide appointment letters and identity cards to the workers, a significant number of workers failed to prove even their job identity at the respective firms, as such they are deprived of their legal rights.
Regarding the legal provision about giving appointment letters and identity cards, Mr Chowdhury earlier said, "It's mandatory under Section 5 of the Bangladesh Labour Act-2006."
The legal aid cell is located at the 5th floor of Shrama Bhaban, 4, Rajuk Avenue (Dainik Bangla intersection), Dhaka-1000. The cell's hotline number is 01761-222224.
The legal services include: giving information relating to the workers' rights, providing legal advice, appointing lawyers on behalf of the workers, filing and conducting cases on behalf of them at the labour courts and other courts, supplying case-related papers and documents on their behalf.