UNB, Dhaka :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday directed the Labour and Employment Ministry to take effective measures for the welfare of the workers by creating congenial working atmosphere and ensuring appropriate wages for them.
It is one of the main responsibilities of the government to ensure minimum wages for the workers, a big strength for the country, she said in her introductory speech at a meeting with the high officials of the Labour and Employment Ministry at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Sheikh Hasina, also in-charge of the Labour and Employment Ministry, directed the officials concerned to complete within the stipulated time the unfinished or under–implemented development programmes and projects under the Ministry, which were taken during the last tenure of her government.
She said that, though there is no scope to allow ‘trade union’ in the EPZ areas of the country under the existing law, but steps should be taken to ensured the welfare of the workers.
At the same time, she also asked the Labour Ministry to take measures to protect the rights of the ‘housemaids’ (griho karmi),
which is most often neglected in the country. In this regard, the Prime Minister advised the Ministry to prepare some rules and regulations to issue license for outsourcing business of housemaids, which, she said, will make it easier for the outsourcing agencies to ensure all rights of the housemaids including their wages and working hours.
Expressing satisfaction over the steady growth of exports despite what she said various destructive activities in the name of movement by BNP-led alliance during last couple of months, Hasina laid emphasis on spreading agro-based industries in the country.
She said, work on the establishment of special economic zones in seven divisions is progressing to create employment opportunities for the huge unemployed youths.
The Prime Minister asked the concerned ministries to make it mandatory to keep provisions for water reservoir and fire extinguishing system for establishing any industry as well as housing facilities nearby for the female workers. Terming the recent success of legalizing the workers in Saudi Arabia and arrangement of changing their work permit (Iqama) as a diplomatic achievement of the government, she advised the Labour Ministry officials to work with honesty and sincerity or face the music for negligence.
Sheikh Hasina said, the aim of her government is to turn Bangladesh a middle-income country by 2021 and a front ranking developed one by 2041.
To achieve the goal, the seventh five-year plan will be formulated after the completion sixth five-year plan by 2015, she said.
With the implementation of the perspective plan, she added, per capita income will be raised to 1500 US dollar, poverty reduced to 13 percent and annual growth rate increased to 10 percent by 2021.
