Read this article in:
24 August, 2004The Parliament of Bangladesh has passed a bill granting limited workers' association rights in the country's export processing zones from November 1, 2006. "Incomplete, but a step in the right direction," say trade unions.
BANGLADESH: The Parliament of Bangladesh has passed a bill granting limited workers' association rights in the country's export processing zones (EPZs) from November 1, 2006.
From now until October 31, 2006, there will be a provisional arrangement, short of a trade union, for formation of "Welfare Committees" with elected representatives of the workers. Committees will have the power to negotiate and sign collective agreements.
Moreover, the bill provides for the formation of formal trade unions from November 1, 2006. Trade unions of a particular EPZ area will be allowed to form a federation, but there should not be more than one federation in an area. Federations will not be allowed to form a single body or join any national trade union, political party or its labour front. Unions are not entitled to take part in any political activity.
The bill comes after the American labour federation, the AFL-CIO, in the beginning of 2003 reiterated an earlier petition to the U.S. trade representative to deny Bangladesh special trade benefits unless it reversed discriminatory labour policies.
The reaction of Bangladesh trade unions to the bill is mixed. Majibhur Rahman Bhuiyan, general secretary of the IMF-affiliated Bangladesh Metalworkers' League (BML), says they are not happy with this law, feeling it is incomplete and discriminatory. Furthermore, they ask how there can be two trade union laws: one for EPZ workers and another for the rest of the workers, in the same country. At the same time, the BML acknowledges that the law is a step in the right direction.
From now until October 31, 2006, there will be a provisional arrangement, short of a trade union, for formation of "Welfare Committees" with elected representatives of the workers. Committees will have the power to negotiate and sign collective agreements.
Moreover, the bill provides for the formation of formal trade unions from November 1, 2006. Trade unions of a particular EPZ area will be allowed to form a federation, but there should not be more than one federation in an area. Federations will not be allowed to form a single body or join any national trade union, political party or its labour front. Unions are not entitled to take part in any political activity.
The bill comes after the American labour federation, the AFL-CIO, in the beginning of 2003 reiterated an earlier petition to the U.S. trade representative to deny Bangladesh special trade benefits unless it reversed discriminatory labour policies.
The reaction of Bangladesh trade unions to the bill is mixed. Majibhur Rahman Bhuiyan, general secretary of the IMF-affiliated Bangladesh Metalworkers' League (BML), says they are not happy with this law, feeling it is incomplete and discriminatory. Furthermore, they ask how there can be two trade union laws: one for EPZ workers and another for the rest of the workers, in the same country. At the same time, the BML acknowledges that the law is a step in the right direction.