Bangladesh’s Cabinet has approved in principles the draft of Bangladesh Labour Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018 with several key changes – what the authorities said will be favouring the 3.6 million work force greatly.
The approval was given at the weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, Cabinet Secretary Md Shafiul Alam said in a post-meeting press briefing. “The draft bill has been prepared and updated following the observation of International Labour Organization (ILO).”
Following the briefing, State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque held another press briefing where he said the draft law would be placed before the cabinet for a complete approval and tabled into the parliament for passing.
THE LAW PROPOSES:
- Reduced punishment for workers
- 20 per cent signatory for trade union
- Child labour ban, allows work of 14 & above
- Increased compensation for death
The law banned child labour in the draft law and allowed 14-year-old and above to carry out “light activities” in the factories. Under the current law, 12-year-old children are allowed to do “light work”. Now, nobody under 14 can be employed at factories. Violation will cost the employer a fine of BDT 5,000.
Currently, workers need the signature of 30 per cent population of a factory to form a trade union. A new provision included in the law allows a trade union with 20 per cent signatories. Also, the prevailing provision of a strike with two-thirds of support has been cut down. Now workers can carry a strike with 51 per cent of the worker support.
The proposed draft law has the provision of BDT 2.5 lakh compensation for workers who have sustained permanent damage to the level of being unable to work – what is double that of the compensation amount carried in the present law. Also, the compensation for death at workplace has been doubled to BDT 2.5 lakh.
In regard to agitation in workplace, the punishment of a worker has been halved to 6 months; what is currently 1 year, for imposing illegal strike. However, the fine of BDT 5,000 will prevail as usual. The punishment for unacceptable behaviour has also been halved down to 1 year.
Additionally, from what Cabinet Secretary Shafiul Alam said, the proposed law has ensured protection for pregnant women workers and punishment for employers for its violation.