Work together to achieve development goal: Minister

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan has urged the workers to work together to help Bangladesh achieve the status of a middle-income country by 2021.

He was addressing a rally in Dhaka organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment to mark the May Day.

Several wings of trade union affiliated with the ruling party participated in the rally on Sunday.

“You (workers) have to be very careful about terrorist and militant activities and raise voices to stop it,” Shahjahan Khan said, urging them to help achieve Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina`s vision of development.

State Minister for Labour Md Mujibul Haque Chunnu said, “The incumbent government is worker-friendly and has taken a lot of initiatives, including amending the Labour Act and (setting up) workers welfare fund, to ensure their rights.”

In the amended Labour Act 2013, the government has kept a provision of depositing 0.03% of export value to the workers’ welfare fund to ensure proper compensation and their welfare in case of untoward incidents.

The owners of export-oriented garment industries will contribute 0.03% of export value to the workers’ welfare fund and of which, 50% will be kept for the welfare fund and 50% for tackling troubled situations.

As per the current export value, owners’ contribution to the welfare fund would be about Tk70 crore, which would be spent for workers welfare, Mujibul said.

“If a son or daughter of any worker study in the public university, the student will get a donation of Tk3 lakh from the fund to bear educational expenses,” the state minister said.

As a member of ILO, Bangladesh is closely working with the organisation to ensure labour rights. Through the enactment of rules of Bangladesh Labour Act 2013, the government has made the process of trade union registration easy, he added.

Jatiya Sramik League President Sukur Mahmud urged the government to implement ILO convention to allow workers practice freedom association in the factories.

http://www.natunsomoy.com/Work-together-to-achieve-development-goal-Minister/53065