While high unemployment rates are most definitely an issue in Bangladesh, the continued development of our economy has resulted in an increasing number of people entering the job market, both formal and informal.
Since the Rana Plaza incident, our RMG sector in particular has shown that it is willing to put forth the safety of its workers as a high priority -- but in general labour rights in Bangladesh seems to be in a declining state. Earlier this year, Transparency International Bangladesh observed that the new labour law does little to ensure the right to work, and prevent harassment and discrimination.
Sweeping reforms within our labour laws, then, are the order of the day.
To that end, we agree with the recommendations put forth by labour experts at an event organized by the Solidarity Centre concerning amendments to the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006. One of the recommendations made calls for broadening the definition of the term "worker," and given the proliferation of the “gig economy” in Bangladesh in the form of services such as ride sharing, it makes a lot of sense.
It is rather unfortunate that worker rights are often skirted by large companies with next to no punitive measures being taken against them. When a worker gets dismissed by a company, for whatever reason, service benefits are never ensured, while unscrupulous labour practices which lead to workers being dismissed unfairly is still an incredibly common phenomenon, and the less said the better about the harassment of women workers.
These are all issues that our industries will need to improve upon, but the call has to be made by the government first.
There are far too many arenas that we have to improve upon to ensure that workers not only get a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work, but that they are able to work without fear of unfair dismissals or missed wages.
