Workers’ rights, social protection, workplace safety, decent work, skills development and climate resilience should be reflected in Bangladesh’s position paper for the upcoming UN climate conference COP31, speakers said at a workshop in the capital on Sunday.
They said climate change is already affecting workers through heat stress, reduced working hours, unsafe workplaces and livelihood risks, making workers’ priorities an essential part of the country’s just transition agenda.
The remarks came at the “Workshop on Worker Position Paper for COP31”, held at After Hours Residence in Banani.
Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and the National Alliance for Just Transition Bangladesh (NAJTB) organized the workshop with support from Oxfam and Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF), the joint secretariat of NAJTB. Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), a member of NAJTB, also participated.
The workshop was organized under MJF’s Fashion Forward project, through which the human rights-based organization is working to support a fair, inclusive and worker-responsive transition in the apparel sector.
Speakers said the workshop was part of a series of consultations. The next consultations will involve youth and government stakeholders, following which the recommendations will be consolidated and aligned with the government’s COP31 position paper for final submission.
Elisa Benistant Fremigacci, technical officer, Just Transitions, ILO Bangladesh, said COP31 is being framed as the “COP of implementation” and workers in Bangladesh must push for policy commitments to be translated into action.
She stressed the need for dedicated financing, meaningful dialogue, direct representation and accountability in implementing the just transition chapter of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Md Muhtasim Billah, senior program officer at Oxfam Bangladesh, said a just transition should not focus solely on the shift in energy systems.
“It must safeguard workers’ rights, ensure social protection and secure decent work standards across sectors,” he said.
AKM Ashraf Uddin, executive director of BLF and member secretary of NAJTB, said the direct participation of worker and employer representatives in COP negotiations was a major step forward.
He said NAJTB, which brings together nearly 60 civil society and trade union organisations across around 20 sectors, is preparing a unified Workers’ Charter of Demands for COP31.
Presenting the keynote, Mir Mohammad Ali, assistant professor at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, said extreme heatwaves and climate hazards were causing serious losses to workers and the economy.
He recommended incorporating the Workers’ Charter into the government’s position paper, including provisions for paid heat-rest breaks, social security, skills development and worker representation in the official delegation.
Zubaer Alam, program officer at BLF, said youth groups, trade unions and government committees would be engaged by mid-October to prepare a grounded Workers’ Position Paper.
Pablo Narudha, Project Coordinator of Fashion Forward at MJF, said MJF had worked with workers for more than two decades to protect their fundamental rights and that workers’ priorities should be reflected in national climate policy.
Wasiur Rahman Tonmoy, lead, Youth and Social Cohesion at MJF, said workers’ voices needed to be reflected in clear, evidence-based and actionable language.
He said MJF would continue to promote human rights through worker-led evidence, youth engagement and policy advocacy.
Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, executive coordinator of NAJTB and executive director of BILS, also emphasized the need to incorporate workers’ demands into the COP31 position paper.
Representatives from trade unions, civil society organizations, development partners and other stakeholders attended the workshop.