Resource Centre For Workers

Bangladesh has one of the largest workforces in the world. According to the latest Labour Force Survey (2016-2017) of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the total number of workers in the country of 166 million people is 63.40 million, including 43.60 million men and 19.80 million women, who are employed in more than 40 types of industries. To keep the wheel of economic development moving, there is no doubt we must improve the efficiency of the workforce, and to do that, there is no alternative to creating skilled workers. And of course, ensuring a good work environment is a prerequisite, experts say.

There are many organisations that are working for the interest of workers in this country. But they sometimes fail to offer adequate support or services to the workers. With the aim of providing various services, including advocacy, dispute resolution, grievance handling, negotiation, collective bargaining, occupational safety and healthcare, as well as raising awareness and providing training on workers’ rights, a workers resource centre (WRC) has been established in the country recently. This week, The Weekend Independent talked to officials of WRC and other organisations regarding activities of the centre.

“As a joint platform between two leading worker organisations, National Coordination Committee on Workers Education (NCCWE) and IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC), the WRC will help trade unions operate more effectively and provide better services to their members. The centre is supported by ILO’s Social Dialogue and Industrial Relations (SDIR) Project funded by Denmark and Sweden, as well as ILO’s Workers Bureau (ACTRAV). The office of the centre has been established at Tongi, an industrial hub near the capital. The office is currently being renovated and once complete, it will host trainings, meetings and conferences,” said Steve Needham, a senior communications officer at ILO’s (International Labour Organisation) Bangladesh office.

 “The centre will provide capacity building training and other services to workers and trade unions. It will cover areas such as workers organising, collective bargaining and negotiations, advice on Bangladesh Labour Act and labour dispute resolutions,” Needham added.

A board of trustees representing the NCCWE and IBC federations will run the centre. The board of trustees will serve a two-year term, while the posts of chairperson and vice-chairperson will rotate among the trustees on a six-monthly basis, said Towhidur Rahman, chairperson of WRC.

Rahman said the centre will provide various services, including legal advice, expert advice, call centre service, training and support to women leaders. Besides, the centre will also conduct research on key issues relating to trade union organising, collective bargaining and labour disputes.

“A team of paralegals is being put in place to provide legal advice to trade unions and federations to help address labour grievances and disputes. A call centre will be set up in the centre which will help union members who wish to make complaints or ask advice. The centre will also help to promote the active participation of women in trade unions,” the WRC chairperson said. “The centre will help to build the capacity and address fragmentation amongst trade unions. Ultimately, this will benefit both workers and employers.”

“The centre will help unions learn how to better negotiate agreements and represent its workers. Any initiative that helps build industrial relations in a positive manner and the industry to grow further should be welcomed,” Rahman said, adding: “To ensure good governance in the RMG (readymade garments) sector, dialogue and cooperation are critical.” The RMG industry employs about 4 million people and accounts for about 80 percent of Bangladesh’s total export earnings, according to BGMEA.

Speaking at the launching event in the capital on April 11, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu welcomed establishment of the WRC. “The WRC should lead to a more effective union movement by fostering a culture of consultation, capacity building and information sharing. To ensure good governance in the RMG sector, dialogue and cooperation are critical. I hope that this process can go beyond the RMG industry and benefit workers in other sectors,” the minister said, according to news reports.

Abdul Wahed, vice-chairperson of WRC, said: “Primarily, the centre will focus on the RMG sector. Next, it will work with the leather industry and other (industrial) sectors. For that, it will increase the number of members in the future as time demands.”

“We have already recruited some staff. We hope to run the office full-fledged from the month of May. Then we can arrange all kinds of training programmes for the betterment of both workers and owners of factories. We will also set up the call centre number soon,” Wahed said.

Expecting positive response and cooperation from factory owners, Wahed added: “We hope the employers will welcome the initiative. We believe that any logical demand of the workers can be solved through mutual negotiation. Thus, it will create a comfortable atmosphere in every workplace in our country. It is a test for us. Every problem will be solved with the help of the centre through indoor negotiation and collective bargaining.”

Regarding the WRC, Siddiqur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told this correspondent over the telephone: “This is an initiative of ILO, with which BGMEA, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and the government of Bangladesh are working. We have come to know the centre will provide training for both owners and workers of factories. ILO will monitor the centre. Primarily, the centre will be working in the RMG sector.”

Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, executive director of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), which is working to ensure improvement in workers’ livelihoods, rights, workplace security and safety, said: “We welcome the centre. Of course, it is a good initiative. We have to be careful so it does not become merely a training centre. We have already many training centres in our country. It should be a sanctuary for workers, so they can get help properly. If it becomes a training centre only, the aim of establishing the centre will not be successful.”

The BILS executive director said the apex organisation, along with other rights organisations, had proposed to establish such a centre, which would also employ at least two doctors and two lawyers, to address the concerns of workers. “It was our proposal to those who are working in this sector to set up such a centre. It is good that the centre has been established, finally. From our studies, we see that workers face many problems during uncongenial situations in factories. We hope the centre will provide every support.”

Ahmed also gave importance on setting up more branches of the centre in the future so workers around the country can get support. “Workers have to come to union offices in Dhaka, far from their work areas, to mitigate their problems. It consumes both time and money. Even, they do not know how to get legal service. So, the centre has to set up more offices to reach the workers,” he suggested.

Towhidur Rahman, the WRC chairperson, said: “We have set up our office at Tongi for now. If we get success from the centre, we will establish more branches across the country. We hope the centre will be a proper place for workers where they will get every type of help in the time of crises.”

Kamrul Anam, former vice-chairman of WRC, pointed out that without a congenial workplace atmosphere, harmonious development cannot possible. “As an institution, WRC will help workers to know more about laws and regulations, and increase the ability of unions and improve dispute settlement skills. Through the centre, our workers will become more confident.”

Our country has 41 types of industries, according to Bangladesh Minimum Wages Board. Towhidur Rahman said the Employment of Labour (Standing Orders) Act 1965 is followed in Bangladesh: “Every matter related to the working force in our country is included in the law.”

Photos: File.

 

Resource Centre For Workers

Bangladesh has one of the largest workforces in the world. According to the latest Labour Force Survey (2016-2017) of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the total number of workers in the country of 166 million people is 63.40 million, including 43.60 million men and 19.80millionwomen, who are employed in more than 40 types of industries. To keep the wheel of economic development moving, there is no doubt we must improve the efficiency of the workforce, and to do that, there is no alternative to creating skilled workers. And of course, ensuring a good work environment is a prerequisite, experts say. There are many organisations that are working for the interest of workers in this country. But they sometimes fail to offer adequate support or services to the workers. With the aim of providing various services, including advocacy, dispute resolution, grievance handling, negotiation, collective bargaining, occupational safety and healthcare, as well as raising awareness and providing training on workers rights, a workers resource centre (WRC) has been established in the country recently. This week, The Weekend Independent talked to officials of WRC and other organisations regarding activities of the centre. As a joint platform between two leading worker organisations, National Coordination Committee on Workers Education (NCCWE) and IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC), the WRC will help trade unions operate more effectively and provide better services to their members. The centre is supported by ILOs Social Dialogue and Industrial Relations (SDIR) Project funded by Denmark and Sweden, as well as ILOs Workers Bureau (ACTRAV). The office of the centre has been established at Tongi, an industrial hub near the capital. The office is currently being renovated and once complete, it will host trainings, meetings and conferences, said Steve Needham, a senior communications officer at ILOs (International Labour Organisation) Bangladesh office. The centre will provide capacity building training and other services to workers and trade unions. It will cover areas such as workers organising, collective bargaining and negotiations, advice on Bangladesh Labour Act and labour dispute resolutions, Needham added. A board of trustees representing the NCCWE and IBC federations will run the centre. The board of trustees will serve a two-year term, while the posts of chairperson and vice-chairperson will rotate among the trustees on a six-monthly basis, said Towhidur Rahman, chairperson of WRC. Rahman said the centre will provide various services, including legal advice, expert advice, call centre service, training and support to women leaders. Besides, the centre will also conduct research on key issues relating to trade union organising, collective bargaining and labour disputes. A team of paralegals is being put in place to provide legal advice to trade unions and federations to help address labour grievances and disputes. A call centre will be set up in the centre which will help union members who wish to make complaints or ask advice. The centre will also help to promote the active participation of women in trade unions, the WRC chairperson said. The centre will help to build the capacity and address fragmentation amongst trade unions. Ultimately, this will benefit both workers and employers. The centre will help unions learn how to better negotiate agreements and represent its workers. Any initiative that helps build industrial relations in a positive manner and the industry to grow further should be welcomed, Rahman said, adding: To ensure good governance in the RMG (readymade garments) sector, dialogue and cooperation are critical. The RMG industry employs about 4 million people and accounts for about 80 percent of Bangladeshs total export earnings, according to BGMEA. Speaking at the launching event in the capital on April 11, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu welcomed establishment of the WRC. The WRC should lead to a more effective union movement by fostering a culture of consultation, capacity building and information sharing. To ensure good governance in the RMG sector, dialogue and cooperation are critical. I hope that this process can go beyond the RMG industry and benefit workers in other sectors, the minister said, according to news reports. Abdul Wahed, vice-chairperson of WRC, said: Primarily, the centre will focus on the RMG sector. Next, it will work with the leather industry and other (industrial) sectors. For that, it will increase the number of members in the future as time demands. We have already recruited some staff. We hope to run the office full-fledged from the month of May. Then we can arrange all kinds of training programmes for the betterment of both workers and owners of factories. We will also set up the call centre number soon, Wahed said. Expecting positive response and cooperation from factory owners, Wahed added: We hope the employers will welcome the initiative. We believe that any logical demand of the workers can be solved through mutual negotiation. Thus, it will create a comfortable atmosphere in every workplace in our country. It is a test for us. Every problem will be solved with the help of the centre through indoor negotiation and collective bargaining. Regarding the WRC, Siddiqur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told this correspondent over the telephone: This is an initiative of ILO, with which BGMEA, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and the government of Bangladesh are working. We have come to know the centre will provide training for both owners and workers of factories. ILO will monitor the centre. Primarily, the centre will be working in the RMG sector. Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, executive director of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), which is working to ensure improvement in workers livelihoods, rights, workplace security and safety, said: We welcome the centre. Of course, it is a good initiative. We have to be careful so it does not become merely a training centre. We have already many training centres in our country. It should be a sanctuary for workers, so they can get help properly. If it becomes a training centre only, the aim of establishing the centre will not be successful. The BILS executive director said the apex organisation, along with other rights organisations, had proposed to establish such a centre, which would also employ at least two doctors and two lawyers, to address the concerns of workers. It was our proposal to those who are working in this sector to set up such a centre. It is good that the centre has been established, finally. From our studies, we see that workers face many problems during uncongenial situations in factories. We hope the centre will provide every support. Ahmed also gave importance on setting up more branches of the centre in the future so workers around the country can get support. Workers have to come to union offices in Dhaka, far from their work areas, to mitigate their problems. It consumes both time and money. Even, they do not know how to get legal service. So, the centre has to set up more offices to reach the workers, he suggested. Towhidur Rahman, the WRC chairperson, said: We have set up our office at Tongi for now. If we get success from the centre, we will establish more branches across the country. We hope the centre will be a proper place for workers where they will get every type of help in the time of crises. Kamrul Anam, former vice-chairman of WRC, pointed out that without a congenial workplace atmosphere, harmonious development cannot possible. As an institution, WRC will help workers to know more about laws and regulations, and increase the ability of unions and improve dispute settlement skills. Through the centre, our workers will become more confident. Our country has 41 types of industries, according to Bangladesh Minimum Wages Board. Towhidur Rahman said the Employment of Labour (Standing Orders) Act 1965 is followed in Bangladesh: Every matter related to the working force in our country is included in the law. Photos: File.