ACCORDING to a global rights index published recently, Bangladesh is among the 10 worst countries for workers despite improvement in the safety concern after the Rana Plaza disaster. The report presented by International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) stated that in this period some trade union leaders were killed in Bangladesh along with nine other countries, while workers were exposed to violence in 52 countries. The study found workers’ strikes were brutally repressed and severely punished by the governments of Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, and Thailand.
The ITUC identified that conditions in Asia-Pacific deteriorated more than any other region with an increase in violence, violent attacks on workers, and criminalisation of the right to strike. Workers in Bangladesh are exposed to mass dismissals, arrests, violence and state repression against peaceful protests. In the garment sector, strikes are often met with extreme brutality by police forces. Decent work is being affected and rights are being denied by companies avoiding rules and regulations. The ITUC report found that 85 per cent of the countries had violated the rights to strike while 80 per cent of them denied the right to collective bargaining.
The government approved the new Labour Law in 2013 including 87 sections of amendments to boost workers’ rights, including better access to freedom of association, and improving occupational health and safety conditions. But the garment industry hardly allows workers to express their demand, although many RMG industries fail to pay the salary and perk regularly.
Freedom of expression under some conditions is imperative for healthy development of workers and industry simultaneously. We do urge the government as well as the BGMEA leaders to allow workers for exercising their rights. Until reaching a consensus among the workers and industrialists, sustainable development would be unmet that hampers both the parties and the economy in general.
The ITUC identified that conditions in Asia-Pacific deteriorated more than any other region with an increase in violence, violent attacks on workers, and criminalisation of the right to strike. Workers in Bangladesh are exposed to mass dismissals, arrests, violence and state repression against peaceful protests. In the garment sector, strikes are often met with extreme brutality by police forces. Decent work is being affected and rights are being denied by companies avoiding rules and regulations. The ITUC report found that 85 per cent of the countries had violated the rights to strike while 80 per cent of them denied the right to collective bargaining.
The government approved the new Labour Law in 2013 including 87 sections of amendments to boost workers’ rights, including better access to freedom of association, and improving occupational health and safety conditions. But the garment industry hardly allows workers to express their demand, although many RMG industries fail to pay the salary and perk regularly.
Freedom of expression under some conditions is imperative for healthy development of workers and industry simultaneously. We do urge the government as well as the BGMEA leaders to allow workers for exercising their rights. Until reaching a consensus among the workers and industrialists, sustainable development would be unmet that hampers both the parties and the economy in general.
