Cabinet approves draft EPZ Labour Act

The cabinet approved Monday in principle the draft 'Bangladesh Export Processing Zone (EPZ) Labour Act, 2014' aiming to ensure welfare of the workers by allowing them to form trade unions (TUs).
"The proposed law was drafted keeping consistency with the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2013 along with maintaining all the existing extra facilities of the workers employed in the EPZs," cabinet secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the media after the cabinet meeting at the conference room of the cabinet division on the day.
The right to formation of trade union has been incorporated in the draft in line with one of the conditions set by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for restoring the preferential trade benefit for Bangladeshi products in the US market.            
He said the name of the workers' organisation in the EPZs would be 'The Workers' Welfare Association' that would allow the workers in EPZs the right to collective bargaining.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat on the day.
The cabinet secretary said the cabinet endorsed the draft law after a detailed discussion on it. The draft law was prepared in consultation with all the stakeholders including the owners of the industries located in the EPZs.
He said the necessity of the law was felt as there was no law for the workers of the EPZs at present.  Workers' services at EPZs are now regulated by two sets of guidelines.
Against this backdrop, the proposed law has been drafted as a clear and comprehensive one.
The proposed law will ensure various facilities to the EPZ workers that include their wages, payment, working hours and leave, security, working environment, protection of their health and rights of compensation in case of injury.
The cabinet also approved in principle the draft 'The Export Promotion Bureau Act, 2014' subject to the vetting of the ministry of law with minor addition to the existing ordinance.
The changes are: the provision of four meetings of the EPB Board in a year instead of one meeting per month and inclusion of two new members --one from Forest and Environment Ministry and another from Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry in the EPB Board.
The cabinet also gave the final nod to the draft 'The Bangladesh Nuclear Energy Control (Amendment) Act, 2014" relaxing the qualifications of the chairman and members of Nuclear Energy Control Authority. The draft law will go to the ministry of law for vetting.
The cabinet was apprised of the participation of a Bangladesh delegation in the 103rd International Labour Conference held in Geneva from May 28 to June 12 and the participation of the foreign minister in an international seminar on prevention of genocide held in Brussels from March 31 to April 2.