Bangladesh must ensure respect for workers’ freedom of association so as to effectively implement workplace safety, according to a review committee on Bangladesh at the International Labour Conference in Geneva. The 102nd session of the International Labour Conference, which is organised by the UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO), began on June 5 and will continue till June 20.“The committee called on the government to take necessary measures to ensure that workers and employers can exercise their right to freedom of association in an environment that is free from threats, pressure and intimidation,” the review committee had observed on June 16.
The observation came following a presentation by Bangladesh on June 12 over the labour situation in the country and steps taken by the government to address the issues relating to labour rights and workplace safety.The committee observed that numerous provisions in Bangladesh such as Labour Act, 2006, and Industrial Relations Rules, 1977, were not in line with the ILO’s convention 87 on freedom of association and protection of the right to organise unions.
The committee mentioned that there were several allegations of arrests, harassment and detention of trade union leaders and activists and the registrar’s refusal to register new trade unions.
“The committee urged the government to take necessary measures to ensure that the amendments to the Labour Act would not undermine trade union rights,” it said.The government had placed the amended Labour Act, 2006, in Parliament in the first week of June and the bill is expected to be passed by the end of this month. The amendment is needed to launch the ILO’s Better Work Programme in Bangladesh.The review committee also urged the government to comply with its observations and submit a report on its progress on the matter.
At this year’s International Labour Conference, often described as international labour parliament, the glare was on Bangladesh owing to several industrial mishaps, especially Tazreen Fashions and Rana Plaza incidents that had claimed over 1,250 lives.The incidents in Bangladesh have attracted unprecedented attention from the international community and media.Following the Rana Plaza tragedy, major readymade garment buyers and retailers in Europe and US have demanded a time-bound accord from Dhaka to improve safety and security in Bangladeshi factories.
-With The Independent input
