Govt to ease EPR for trade union polls, says labour adviser
Monday, 7 July 2008
The government has decided to allow trade union activities on a limited scale by easing some sections of the Emergency Powers Rules (EPR), Local Government, Labour and Employment Adviser Anwarul Iqbal said Sunday, reports bdnews24.com.
The Adviser told newsmen that prior permission was a must to stage elections to the trade union bodies and CBAs (collective bargaining agents). The government has informed the matter to the home ministry, the adviser mentioned.
He made the remarks after a tripartite meeting that he had chaired on finalisation of the National Child Labour Elimination Policy-2008 at the conference room of the Local Government Division.
Acting secretary of the ministry Mahfuzul Haque, additional secretary of the home ministry Sheikh Abdur Rashid, BKMEA president Fazlul Hoque and representatives of the owners, workers and different ministries attended the meeting.
He said work on formulating the draft of the National Child Labour Elimination Policy had been ongoing for four years. A tripartite committee formed on March 25 submitted recommendations at Sunday's meeting, which accepted them.
The final proposal would be sent to the law ministry for vetting and it would then be placed before the interim cabinet for approval.
The adviser said with the cooperation of the representatives from all levels of the readymade garment industry the sector has been made totally free of child labour. He added that the government was working to free the shrimp, the ship-breaking and hand-made tobacco industries free from child labour.
Two taskforces have been formed to take out about 30 per cent child labour engaged in the ship-breaking industry, the adviser added.
The Adviser told newsmen that prior permission was a must to stage elections to the trade union bodies and CBAs (collective bargaining agents). The government has informed the matter to the home ministry, the adviser mentioned.
He made the remarks after a tripartite meeting that he had chaired on finalisation of the National Child Labour Elimination Policy-2008 at the conference room of the Local Government Division.
Acting secretary of the ministry Mahfuzul Haque, additional secretary of the home ministry Sheikh Abdur Rashid, BKMEA president Fazlul Hoque and representatives of the owners, workers and different ministries attended the meeting.
He said work on formulating the draft of the National Child Labour Elimination Policy had been ongoing for four years. A tripartite committee formed on March 25 submitted recommendations at Sunday's meeting, which accepted them.
The final proposal would be sent to the law ministry for vetting and it would then be placed before the interim cabinet for approval.
The adviser said with the cooperation of the representatives from all levels of the readymade garment industry the sector has been made totally free of child labour. He added that the government was working to free the shrimp, the ship-breaking and hand-made tobacco industries free from child labour.
Two taskforces have been formed to take out about 30 per cent child labour engaged in the ship-breaking industry, the adviser added.