In a sweeping bid to bring justice to Bangladesh’s labour landscape, the Labour Reform Commission on Monday submitted its report to the Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, proposing comprehensive legal reforms to end the longstanding exclusion of informal, agricultural, and domestic workers from statutory protection.
The commission urged the government to enact Bangladesh’s most far-reaching labour law reforms in decades—restructuring protections for the vast majority of workers long left outside the law.
From garment factories to rice mills, from domestic help to platform-based delivery riders, the commission’s report demands the recognition of every worker’s right to decent pay, safe conditions, and a life of dignity—no matter where they work or how.
“This report is not just about workers’ rights; it is about fulfilling the constitutional mandate to eliminate all forms of exploitation and uphold the dignity of the working people,” said Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, chair of the commission, during the formal submission of the report to the chief adviser.
The 200-page report, a product of months-long consultation with over 160 labour, farmer, women, and rights organizations, calls for the extension of labour rights and entitlements to all workers—regardless of sector, contract status, or geographic location.
The interim government formed the 10-member Labour Reform Commission on November 17, headed by Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, executive director of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS).
Redrawing legal boundaries of labour
The commission found that Bangladesh’s existing labour laws, particularly the Labour Act 2006, primarily cover formal sectors, excluding the vast majority of the workforce—such as agricultural day labourers, domestic workers, ride-sharing drivers, and gig economy workers—who remain invisible in legal frameworks.
To address this systemic blind spot, the commission urged that labour protection be made universal, proposing a clear legal recognition of all workers, including the informal and migrant sectors.
It recommended that the government adopt an inclusive definition of “worker,” create a digital labour ID and registration system, and eliminate discriminatory exemptions based on sector or contract type.
The commission emphasized that the state must act as guarantor of this expansion by harmonizing national laws with ILO conventions and constitutional commitments. This includes developing and enforcing occupational safety, compensation, and maternity protections for all categories of workers, not just those in registered factories.
The report also recommends a national labour identity system to register all workers, enabling access to health, compensation, insurance, and collective bargaining protections.
“Without legal visibility and documentation, millions remain outside the purview of labour rights,” the report states, urging swift implementation of a digital labour ID and database.
Minimum wage and economic justice
Highlighting the crisis of poverty wages in both formal and informal sectors, the report recommends the formation of a permanent national minimum wage commission. This body would oversee the declaration of sector-wise fair wage standards, reviewed every three years, and backed by enforceable mechanisms.
It also advocates for gender-responsive and living wage models, especially in low-wage sectors like garment production and domestic work, to ensure workers can live with dignity, not merely survive.
Social protection and fair compensation
The commission also pushed for statutory guarantees of healthcare, insurance, and compensation for all workers, especially those injured on the job or rendered unemployable by occupational hazards. The report proposes:
- Universal access to health services and workplace insurance
- Codified compensation standards for industrial accidents and disabilities
- Inclusion of non-formal workers in social safety nets such as pensions, disability allowances, and unemployment support
Additionally, the report advocates for a national “social dialogue platform” to institutionalize negotiations between the government, employers, and trade unions.
Right to organize and stop exploitation
To strengthen workers’ collective voice, the commission emphasized that freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining must be guaranteed in both law and practice.
It recommended repealing provisions that currently allow arbitrary termination and penalize striking workers.
A major recommendation is to repeal BLA Sections 26 and 27(3A), which allow employers to terminate employees without cause—violating international labour standards and principles of natural justice.
Notably, the commission proposed that workers should be allowed to stop work if wages are unpaid for two months or more, and that such actions must not be considered illegal strikes.
Employers who fail to pay wages on time should face criminal liability, it said.
The commission further called for the formal recognition of unions in export-processing zones (EPZs) and among domestic and platform workers, where unionization remains restricted or discouraged.
Gender justice and workplace dignity
The report does not shy away from tackling workplace discrimination. It recommends integrating specific clauses on sexual harassment and gender-based violence prevention into the Labour Act, including the establishment of internal complaints committees and victim support mechanisms in all workplaces.
It also insists on the recognition of unpaid and care work, urging labour policies to take into account the economic contribution of women who straddle both paid and domestic labour roles.
Acknowledging climate change and global shifts in labour demand, the report highlights the need for just transition frameworks to protect workers displaced by automation, economic shocks, or climate disasters.
It also recommends including provisions for climate resilience, disaster preparedness, and skills training in emerging industries such as renewable energy and ICT.
Participatory process
Formed in November, the Labour Reform Commission included worker representatives, union leaders, rights activists, and labour law experts.
Its proposals reflect insights gathered from 65 dialogue sessions, including meetings with informal workers, EPZ employees, trade union federations, employers’ associations, and international development partners.
At the handover ceremony, chairperson Sultan credited the commission’s achievements to the workers whose “sacrifice, participation, and dignity continue to fuel the country’s economic engine.”
He added: “The rights of workers are not a burden—they are the foundation of a fair and functional democracy. Implementing these reforms is not only a legal duty, but a moral necessity.”
