Commission sets labour reform priorities

The Labour Reform Commission has set its priorities to work on major aspects of ensuring workers' welfare in the country and will submit its report with recommendations to the government within the stipulated time of 30 days.
In only 10 days of formation of the commission, it came up with the priorities that included labour law amendment with institutional restructuring at a press conference at Srama Bhaban in the city on Thursday.
Despite the time limitation, the commission would submit its report within the stipulated time, head of the commission Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed told the press conference, following the reform body's first meeting.
Development of a tripartite mechanism, trade unions, rights to organise, collective bargaining, workers' rights to get justice and dispute settlement, security of employment, and bringing informal sector-workers under legal protection are also in the list of priority.
Going beyond, the commission would further look into the aspects of national minimum and fair wage, compensation, emergency fund, among others.
Mr Ahmed said the commission would hold consultation on the issues with the stakeholders concerned, experts, public and private institutions, ILO and others.
The discussion would be based on local and international laws, rules and regulations, human rights, environment, migration, sustainable development goals, issues related to LDC graduation and recommendations from development partners and export destinations.
He pointed out that 85 per cent of workers in the informal sectors still remained outside the purview of labour law and said a large number of workers are migrating abroad and forced to work at unhealthy and risky places with low wages compared to other countries.
On the other hand, Bangladesh has been branded as a low labour cost country to attract foreign investment limiting workers' right to form trade unions, he said, adding that there is no alternative to responsible trade unionism to develop decent industrial relations.
Besides, there is no national minimum wage and emergency fund while no wage standard has been developed for workers, mostly in informal sectors, he said, adding that these issues would also be taken into consideration to ensure equality and accountability.
Other members of the commission Mahfuzul Haque, former secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Jakir Hossain, professor at the Institute of Bangladesh Studies at Rajshahi University; Tapan Dutta, president of the Chattogram divisional committee of the Bangladesh Trade Union Centre; AKM Nasim, former president of Bangladesh Labour Court Bar Association; M Kamran T Rahman, former president of Bangladesh Employer Federation; Taslima Akhter, photographer and labour movement organiser were also present at the press event.
The interim government on November 18 last formed the commission to reform the labour sector for ensuring workers' rights and welfare.

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