In a significant call for action, the Bangladesh Textile Garment Workers Federation (BTGWF) has presented an 8-point demand aimed at improving the welfare and rights of garment workers. The demands were articulated during a roundtable discussion titled Interim Government: Ongoing Worker Unrest, Worker Rights, and What We Need to Do, held in Dhaka.
Advocate Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, the president of BTGWF, emphasised the urgent need for a ration card system to ensure that garment workers can acquire essential commodities such as rice, lentils, and oil at affordable prices. He underscored the necessity of a constitutional amendment that would guarantee food security for all workers.
Additional demands highlighted by the federation include the establishment of provisions for the formation of trade unions across all garment factories, including Export Processing Zones (EPZs), in alignment with International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions. The workers have also called for the elimination of barriers to trade union registration.
Furthermore, the BTGWF is advocating for the creation of an “Emergency Health and Safety” fund to safeguard workers’ health and livelihood, and for a “universal welfare fund” to support unemployed, disabled, and informal sector workers. They are also seeking the establishment of a dedicated hospital for workers, alongside adequate compensation, treatment, and rehabilitation for victims of the Tazreen Fashion fire and the Rana Plaza building collapse.
The presentation of these demands underscores the ongoing challenges faced by garment workers in Bangladesh and the need for systematic reforms to ensure their rights and well-being.
