Three killed in Bangladesh factory fire1 March, 2022At least three people, including a 15-year old girl, were killed and several others injured, when an illegal shoe factory caught fire on 23 February.
Worker killed at Kabir Steel shipbreaking yard11 February, 2022On 31 January, a worker was killed in an accident at Kabir Steel shipbreaking yard in Sitakunda municipality, Chittagong, Bangladesh, while working at night – despite a court order prohibiting the practice.
SPECIAL REPORT: What will it take for the Hong Kong Convention to come into force? 18 January, 2022Shipbreaking has been called the most dangerous job in the world. In countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan, workers face dangerous and precarious working conditions, with very little training, safety equipment and access to medical services. For this, they receive poverty wages.
IndustriALL Global Union is looking for a regional research, communications and campaigns officer in its South Asia Office 16 November, 2021IndustriALL is looking for a full-time regional research, communications and campaigns officer based in New Delhi, India, one of the five regional offices. The regional office in Delhi covers India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The position will require some travel in the countries covered by the office.
Unions in South Asia to intensify campaign for ratification C1907 October, 2021Around 80 trade union leaders from South Asia attended a webinar to discuss gender based violence and harassment and to plan for a joint campaign.
Police in Bangladesh obstruct union activities 30 September, 2021In a serious violation of workers’ rights, Bangladeshi police first banned a number of union meetings and then physically stopped participants from joining a meeting where a regional committee of the IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC) was to be formed.
Bangladesh’s dangerous shipbreaking yards claim two more lives23 September, 2021In just a week, two more workers have been killed and three have been injured due to the deplorable lack of safety in Chittagong’s shipbreaking yards. IndustriALL affiliates BMF and BMCGTWF have repeatedly brought up the issue of health and safety with both Bangladesh’s government and the ship owners, but to no avail.
International Accord: tentative agreement on expanded worker safety programmes25 August, 2021Negotiations between IndustriALL, UNI and leading textile and garment brands signatories to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh have yielded a tentative agreement that continues the parties’ legally binding commitments to workplace safety in Bangladesh and expands the programme to other countries.
Need for youth policy, say young unionists18 August, 2021In August, national youth forums were held online for IndustriALL affiliates in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka respectively. Participants called for youth policies in their unions, stressing the inclusion of women.
Bangladesh garment workers suffer as factories reopen during Covid-19 lockdown3 August, 2021On 1 August, Bangladeshi garment export factories resumed operations with just two days’ notice, despite the strict lockdown imposed across the country.
