State Minister for labour and Employment Advocate M Mujibul Haque Chunnu said that he would put his best to finalise the Domestic Workers Welfare and Social Security Act 2010 for ensuring the security and rights of the domestic workers.
“I will try to finalize the draft of the Act for domestic workers.. (but) the mentality of the employers should be changed, if they do not understand the pain of the maids, no Act could help them”.
He said this on Thursday while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar ‘Security of Domestic Child Workers and Our Duty” organised by Nari Maitree with the help of Plan International Bangladesh at BIAM auditorium.
The drafts of the act and the policy have been prepared to protect domestic workers from physical, mental and sexual harassment, limit their working hours and stop the employment of under-12 children.
According to Plan International Bangladesh country Director Senit Gebregziabher, “If we can provide them a little opportunity and a caring environment they can do wonder as every child has potentials regardless of family and economic background”. Nari Maitree Executive Director Shahin Akhter Dolly presided over the programme.
According to a study by UNICEF and International Labour Organisation, there are around 20 lakh domestic workers, including more than 450,000 child servants, in Bangladesh. Among them, around 150,000 workers are employed in different households in the city.
