The Parliament of Bangladesh on Wednesday passed the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Bill, 2018 by voice vote.
The bill that has been prepared and updated following the observations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) to ensure the same is a labour-friendly one, was reportedly moved by State Minister for Labour and Employment (Independent Charge) Md Mujibul Haque Chunnu.
Some of the salient features of the bill — which aims to give more facilities to the workers — include reducing percentage of workers’ participation required for forming trade unions at factories from 30 per cent to 20 per cent, prohibiting children from working in factories, upgrading the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment to the level of Directorate, if any worker does his or her duty during festival he/she will get a one-day leave and wage for two days after the festival, both owners and workers will be sentenced to one-year jail with a fine of Taka 10,000 for misconduct (which was two years in the previous law), support of 51 per cent workers would be needed as against present two-thirds of total workers to call a strike, in case of natural death the family of the worker concerned will get Taka 2 lakh as compensation (which was Taka 1 lakh in the previous law) and in case of injury the compensation amount is Taka 2.50 lakh (which is now Taka 1.25 lakh), mentally and physically-challenged labourers cannot be employed in any risky work, the Government will have to give registration to a trade union within 55 days from receiving the application (which was in 60 days in the previous law), the Labour Court will have to deliver judgment in a case within 90 days from the date of filing it and if it is not possible to announce the verdict in the stipulated time, in case of appeal petition the court will have to pass its order within 90 days, if any female worker gives birth to a child before informing the authorities she will get an eight-week leave within three days after informing the authorities, etc.