Labour and Employment Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan announced the launch of a pension plan at the opening of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) product distribution program in Tongi, marking a major step towards improving social security for garment workers.
Bhuiyan, who spoke at the ceremony, stressed the significance of giving garment workers a safety net, saying, “For the garment workers’ social security, we will launch a pension plan so they won’t have to lead a life of misery in the future.” He was hopeful that manufacturing owners will fully cooperate, emphasising that their active involvement is essential to the pension plan’s success.
This program is the first time TCB items have been provided at fair rates since the accord, after the government’s acceptance of 18 demands from garment workers. Workers were given Taka 470 worth of necessities during the event, such as 5 kg of rice, 2 kg of pulses, and 2 litres of soybean oil.
Bhuiyan discussed the persistence of worker unrest in spite of the government’s attempts to accommodate their demands, pointing to the involvement of outside forces. He disclosed that any manufacturing owners who break the rules will face consequences from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
In order to maintain the nation’s industrial sector, he also urged plant owners to put workers’ wellbeing first. TCB Chairman Brig Gen Md. Mostafa Iqbal, Commerce Secretary Md. Selim Uddin, Labour and Employment Secretary AHM Safikuzzaman, and BGMEA President Khandakar Rafiqul Islam were among those in attendance.
An important step in ensuring the future of the garment industry, which is fundamental to the country’s economy, is the planned pension plan.