May Day

The people of Bangladesh are observing the historic May Day today as elsewhere in the world to show respect to the workers, who shed their blood to establish the rights of the working class in 1886. On this day, the workers of the Hay Market of Chicago City in the US laid down their lives for ensuring eight-hour working day for them. Since then, the day is observed all over the world as the day of solidarity with working people.

The labour movement has a glorious past in our country. Bangladesh is a signatory to the ILO convention and has a number of legislations for labour welfare. On this momentous day, some questions haunt the minds of those who genuinely feel for the just cause of the working class.

The labour unions in many cases serve dubious purposes that some times lead to the closure of the industrial units. There is a general notion that sound employer-employee relationship may help ensure productivity and wellbeing of the workers. The wages invariably have to be linked with productivity and the demand for higher wages cannot reasonably be pressed without increasing production.

In the context of our country, one can say that the country is not too poorly served by labour laws and their regulations on the employers. Trade union practices providing collective bargaining of workers with their employers are generally allowed in the industries and services here. Labour courts in Bangladesh promote and protect workers' rights and enforce laws such as compensation to be paid to workers by employers for the breach of labour laws on their part. There is a need for responsible trade unionism in the country, if there exists a genuine interest among workers' leaders to best advance the longer term interests of their followers.

It, however, needs to be stressed here that mere hikes in wages and other fringe benefits for the workers will not serve the purpose of sustainable growth of the economy. The level of skill and efficiency of labour force matters most for competitive survival of any industry in the global market-place. Wages have to be linked, in one way or other, to productivity. If that is made so, profitable operations of the industrial enterprises will be ensured on a sustained footing.

 

May Day

The people of Bangladesh are observing the historic May Day today as elsewhere in the world to show respect to the workers, who shed their blood to establish the rights of the working class in 1886. On this day, the workers of the Hay Market of Chicago City in the US laid down their lives for ensuring eight-hour working day for them. Since then, the day is observed all over the world as the day of solidarity with working people. The labour movement has a glorious past in our country. Bangladesh is a signatory to the ILO convention and has a number of legislations for labour welfare. On this momentous day, some questions haunt the minds of those who genuinely feel for the just cause of the working class. The labour unions in many cases serve dubious purposes that some times lead to the closure of the industrial units. There is a general notion that sound employer-employee relationship may help ensure productivity and wellbeing of the workers. The wages invariably have to be linked with productivity and the demand for higher wages cannot reasonably be pressed without increasing production. In the context of our country, one can say that the country is not too poorly served by labour laws and their regulations on the employers. Trade union practices providing collective bargaining of workers with their employers are generally allowed in the industries and services here. Labour courts in Bangladesh promote and protect workers rights and enforce laws such as compensation to be paid to workers by employers for the breach of labour laws on their part. There is a need for responsible trade unionism in the country, if there exists a genuine interest among workers leaders to best advance the longer term interests of their followers. It, however, needs to be stressed here that mere hikes in wages and other fringe benefits for the workers will not serve the purpose of sustainable growth of the economy. The level of skill and efficiency of labour force matters most for competitive survival of any industry in the global market-place. Wages have to be linked, in one way or other, to productivity. If that is made so, profitable operations of the industrial enterprises will be ensured on a sustained footing.