State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu on Thursday ruled out the possibility of amending the existing Labour Law as it was amended following the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 2013.
“The government has amended the Labour Law in 2013 following the ILO Convention and it would not require to be amended further,” he told newsmen after a meeting with a delegation of visiting European Union Parliament at his ministry conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat.
The State Minister said, “Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector would not require further support from the Accord and the Alliance after 2018. We will be able to make ourselves skilled within this period”
Replying to a query, he said the European Union Parliament delegation would not place its proposal for extending time as Bangladesh would not need the Accord and the Alliance after 2018.
Chunnu said that Prime Minister’s Office has been monitoring all activities of the Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and workers welfare activities are being operated in other form instead of trade union.
Workers welfare organizations have been formed following the trade union guidelines and these organizations are now active in 532 garment factories in Dhaka while the number of the organizations are around 7,500 across the country, he added.
The State Minister, however, said the government has given registration over 400 trade unions after the Rana Plaza incident in 2013. He informed the delegation that some 500 factory inspector posts are lying vacant, adding, “We can’t appoint factory inspectors overnight, because the PSC (Public Service Commission) recruits them.”
Chunnu said that the PSC recommended for appointing 89 factory inspectors, while 264 factory inspectors are presently working.
Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar and Inspector General of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments Syed Ahmed were present during the meeting.
