Staff Reporter :
The amendment of the Bangladesh Labour Rules, 2015 will not ensure the welfare of the workers properly as some of the amended rules are in conflict with the existing labour law and it will create future complications in the foreseeable future, experts said.
Lauding some of the amended provisions, they said though there are some positive aspects in the amendment, several provisions are still unclear and contradictory.
The observation came during a stakeholders’ meeting on the amendment of Bangladesh Labor Rules 2015, organised by the Solidarity Center-Bangladesh office at a hotel in the capital on Wednesday. The Ministry of Labor and Employ-ment, in a gazette notification on September 1, amended the Bangladesh Labor Rules. 2015 and brought 101 amendments and additions.
The discussion revealed that the interests of women workers will be significantly affected by the provisions annexed in these rules on maternity facilities and treatment of women as a woman worker will get about 6.50 percent less money during maternity benefits.
Meanwhile, there was an opportunity to simplify the trade union registration process by adding provisions to the rules, but it was not done. Besides, no provision was added to speed up the proceedings of the Labor Court, they said.
“This amendment does not reflect interests and demands of the workers. Many recommendations, jointly made by workers and employers, were not taken into account. It is difficult to fathom which quarter will actually be benefitted from these amendments,” Ahsan Habib Bulbul, general secretary of Samajtantrik Sramik Front, said.
Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies Director Nazma Yasmin said, “During the night shift at the medical room in a workplace, a diploma-certified doctor is directed to be on duty. Most of the people get sick at night. And it is very difficult to find hospitals and specialist doctors at night.”
Fauzia Karim, President of the Foundation for Law and Development, said, “Instead of protecting the existing law, this amendment is actually curtailing the facilities mentioned in the law.”
Monika Hartsel, Deputy Country Programme Director of Solidarity Center- Bangladesh office, gave the opening speech at the event while Programmme Officer Nazrul Islam presented the keynote. AKM Nasim, Country Program Director of the organisation, delivered the closing remarks.
