Bangladesh Labour Law Needs Fixing

An ITUC mission to Bangladesh this week has called for the government to bring its labour laws into line with ILO standards, to allow workers organise unions to bargain collectively for decent wages and protect themselves from dangerous workplaces.

“Legal changes the government is proposing seem to be more cosmetic than real, and would still leave garment workers without the means to protect themselves from being exploited. We’ve said to the Bangladesh government that there needs to be a tripartite process, with government, employers and unions engaged in the vital task of developing new laws. Bangladesh badly needs to repair its battered reputation for labour abuses if it is going to ensure fair treatment for workers and to maintain and grow exports,” said ITUC Deputy General Secretary Wellington Chibebe, who led the mission along with ITUC-AP General Secretary Noriyuki Suzuki.

The current labour law recognises the right to form a union but falls well below international standards. Employers in the huge garment industry, with the support or acquiescence of the government, have been able to prevent workers forming and joining unions, immediately firing with impunity those who dared to organise for dignity on the job. Under pressure from multinational companies for many years to keep production costs at rock bottom, the government has for too long ignored workers’ wellbeing and safety. The fact that a large number of factory owners also hold seats in parliament has also hindered reform and contributed to the appalling safety record of the industry. Wages for the mainly female workforce, working shifts of up to 12 hours, are often less than two dollars per day.

“The terrible human cost of the Rana Plaza collapse has put the spotlight on the Bangladesh garment industry once again, and many international brands have signed up with global unions to a common effort to tackle building safety and fire hazards. The government needs to play its part now, and that means laws that meet international standards,” said Chibebe.