Labour rights activists on Saturday urged the government to recognise domestic workers in the amended labour law and ratify ILO Convention 189 to ensure the rights of domestic help.
At home and abroad there are 20 lakh domestic workers and 80 per cent of them are women and children, said speakers addressing a press conference.The Domestic Workers Rights Network organised the press conference at Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies office to mark International Domestic Workers Day.
Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies executive director and DWRN coordinator Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed said in January-April 2013, a total 11 domestic helps were killed, six were victim of inhuman physical torture and eight were raped.
He said the number is increasing day by day, so the government needs to take stern action to stop repression of domestic help.
Sultan said the cabinet on May 13 approved the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act-2013 but in the act the government did not recognise domestic work as a ‘work’ and domestic help as a ‘worker’.
Many domestic works go to Hong Kong, Singapore, Lebanon and different countries of Middle East to work as domestic help but it is the duty of the government to ensure their protection and rights, he said.
Sultan also added that the government finalised the ‘Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy 2010’ but did not approve it yet to ensure their protection and rights.
Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies vice-chairman Md Mojibur Rahman Bhuiyan, executive council secretary Wajedul Islam Khan, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust assistant director Barkat Ali and DWRN member secretary Nazma Yesmin were also present.
-With New Age input
