Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan said all divided trade unions would have to be united to realize demands of the workers.
“The owners take the advantage, if the workers remain divided. A trade union is not a business institution. It is a platform to realize rights of the workers,” he said this on Thursday while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion meeting organized by Karmajibi Nari at CIRDAP auditorium here.
Presided over by Karmajibi Nari Executive Director Rokeya Rafiq Baby, the seminar was addressed as the special guest by its founding President Shirin Aktar, MP.
Karmajibi Nari Legal Adviser Tanzina Sara Eva presented a keynote paper while Henry Miler of Japan, labour leader Shahidullah Chowdhury, Syed Sultan Uddin, Abul Hossain and others took part in the discussion.
Shajahan Khan said there was the right to do trade unions in the country, but there was no scope to practise it. It is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who created the scopes in 2006, he added.
He said the existing labour law would be updated soon. Outsourcing of workers would be prohibited in the new law, he added.
The shipping minister said once there was no participation of women in trade unions. Currently, some women are joining trade union because of their huge participation in garment industry.
