Arafat Ara
Wage Earners' Welfare Board (WEWB) rules have been passed five years after the formulation of its law, creating scope for better management of welfare of migrant workers.
The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment published the gazette on April 11, keeping some provisions including making a central database of returnee migrant workers to help provide services such as reintegration supports.
In 1990, the government established the Wage Earners' Welfare Fund as per provision no. 19(1) of the Emigration Ordinance-1982.
It was established as 'Wage Earners' Welfare Board' as a statutory body through 'Wage Earners Welfare Board Act-2018'.
Officials at the board said because of the rules, the WEWB can now run its activities more efficiently; so the migrant workers will get due services.
According to the rules, if any worker needs to be repatriated, returned, or reintegrated home, the WEWB has to communicate with the ministries or departments concerned, offices, and local and international organisations to help the government do the needful.
Besides, once the workers are repatriated home permanently due to different reasons such as job loss, war and disaster or expiration of job contract, their data will be incorporated into a central database to be maintained by the board.
The missions' Labour Welfare Wings located in the job destination countries will collect information of returnee migrant workers to prepare the lists and send those to the WEWB.
On the other hand, the WEWB will also collect data of returnee workers in different ways, so that all returnee workers' records come under the databank.
So far, more than 15 million Bangladeshi workers have gone abroad with jobs in different destination countries since 1976, Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training statistics show.
However, there is no exact data about how many workers have returned since then.
Under the new rules, workers can lodge complaints, if they are subjected to negligence or misconduct while receiving services of WEWB.
"The application can be submitted in writing directly or online through the Bangladesh Missions located in the job destination countries. And the deadline for issuing the order shall be not more than 30 days from the date of filing the complaint," it said.
The workers can lodge complaints if they do not get due services from the expatriate welfare desk at the airport, ambulance service, medical assistance to injured and sick workers, disability allowance, insurance benefits, bringing the dead body home, transportation and burial expenses, financial assistance to the families of deceased workers abroad (financial grant and death compensation), legal assistance abroad, assistance through local administration in the country, safe home shelter to distressed women workers, Bangabandhu Wage Earners' Centre (temporary residence in Dhaka during foreign travel and departure) Probash Bandhu Call Center etc.
To be eligible for the services of the board, expatriate workers must have registration by the BMET as per section 19 of the Overseas Employment and Migration Act- 2013 or emigration clearance certificate as per section 20.
The WEWB maintains a welfare fund for the expatriate Bangladeshis, and provides different services and financial supports to them.
The families of dead migrant workers get Tk 300,000 each as financial support, and ailing workers get Tk 100,000 each for treatment purposes from the WEWB.
It also runs a stipend programme for meritorious children of the migrant workers. In addition, it has also taken a reintegration programme for the Covid-affected returnee migrant workers.
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