Calling or supporting strikes in the essential service sectors will carry a maximum of one year jail time once the draft of “Essential Services Act, 2022” will pass, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam has said.
“The draft was approved in the Cabinet meeting on Monday, and if it becomes a law, workers in the essential services industry will not be able to announce strikes whenever they want,” he said after the Cabinet meeting.
He added: "There are 14 sections in the law. Section four outlines which sectors will be declared essential by the government.”
The secretary said, "There are lay-offs or knock-outs in industrial establishments. If the government feels that those are not justified, these can be banned once the draft becomes a law.”
The cabinet secretary also said that the government may declare transportation, postal and telecommunication, information technology, e-commerce, and digital services as essential.
“Digital financial services, such as mobile services, power generation, supply, marketing, as well as supply of gas and coal are essential services. If there is any deadlock in these matters, the government can interfere and manage it according to the state's welfare,” he added.
He later mentioned that government will also be able to interfere if bus or truck workers go on strikes. “If they violate the law, they will be punished.”