The cabinet has approved the draft of the 'Bangladesh Labor (Amendment) Act, 2018' by reducing the punishment of the owners and workers of factory-industrial establishments and increasing the facilities of the workers. Under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the cabinet meeting in the Secretariat held on Monday approved the draft of 'Bangladesh Labor (Amendment) Act, 2018'.
The labor law has been pressurizing the government for a long time since the International Labor Organization (ILO), the European Union, the International Cooperation Alliance and the various domestic and foreign labor organizations. Under the pressure of their pressure, the labor law was revised in 2013, but it is not enough because these organizations are rectified and they are working to make it labor-friendly. Yesterday the policy was approved in principle. The Labor and Employment Ministry is trying to pass the passage of the present government within the parliament by finalizing the law by breaking it (legal opinion) and again in the cabinet meeting. The last session of the 10th Parliament will start on 9th June. In this session, it was discussed in the Cabinet meeting yesterday that the passing of Labor Law The Prime Minister rejected the proposal when a minister gave a proposal for final approval of the law.
After the meeting, a minister told Kaler Kantho about various things in the cabinet meeting that labor law will be re-organized in the cabinet meeting within two weeks. Then it will be passed in the last sitting of the Parliament. It will not take time to make the law ministry. Un-official vetting has been done. Now it will be done only formal. Before meeting a number of issues with the ILO, the concerned people did it with the unwritten approval of the law ministry.
In the cabinet meeting, State Minister Tarana Halim attracted the attention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and questioned why, why are journalists involved in the labor law? Journalists are not the workers. The Prime Minister asked State Minister for Labor Mujibul Haque to explain the matter. Meanwhile, the State Minister of Labor said in the meeting, why the journalists are under the labor law, they demand the interpretation. However, journalists did not offer any proposal to get out of this law. They will be seen if they offer.
After the meeting, a minister said child labor was banned in the draft of the proposed labor law. If someone employs child labor, he will be fined five thousand taka. Teenagers can work light up to 14 to 18 years of age. Earlier, 12 year old children got the opportunity to work light.
After the cabinet meeting, the journalists briefed the cabinet secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam. He said that the required number of members to reduce trade union has been reduced. Trade unions could not be done if 30 percent of workers did not get support for so many days. According to the revised law, now 20 percent of the workers will be able to form trade unions. The government has to register within 55 days of receiving registration application for a trade union.
According to the demands of the International Labor Organization (ILO), the labor law has been proposed to amend the labor laws to be implemented everywhere, the cabinet secretary said that women workers will be absent for up to eight weeks after delivery including pregnancy facilities.
If there are more than 25 workers in a factory, they will have to have a living room with water and there will be a rest room. If the workers wish, they can work on weekends and then enjoy it with festival holidays. Working on the holiday holidays, you will have to pay a two-day compensation wage, including one-day leave.
He said that the word 'teenage' was added to the word 'minors' excluding the labor law. Earlier, 12-year-old children got a chance to work in the factory. Under the revised law, teenagers aged 14 to 18 years can work lightly. If the amended labor law is passed, it can not be done with a worker more than 10 hours apart from the rest of the meal and rest.
The Cabinet Secretary said that force would be considered as misconduct, force enforcement, threatening, detention, physical injury and disintegration of water, electricity or gas, or in any other way, to allow the owner to accept something.
The Cabinet Secretary said that if the workers were to be involved in illegal strike, the cabinet secretary said that although the need for support of two-thirds workers before the strike, the amended law said 51 percent of the workers have the support. If the amended law is passed, the labor courts will have to give verdict within 90 days from the date of filing of the case. If it is not possible for any reason, it will be mandatory in the next 90 days. The same provision for the verdict of the Appellate Tribunal will be effective.
Shafiul Alam said that if an owner of a woman is deprived of the labor welfare benefits, he will be fined Tk 25,000. If an employer or worker commits evil labor, he will be sentenced to one year imprisonment, a fine of 10 thousand taka or both. Earlier, there were provisions for a fine of Tk 10,000 with the punishment for two years.
If there was an illegal strike, a one year prison sentence and a fine of five thousand rupees were imposed. The amended law proposed to reduce the sentence to six months. The penalty has been kept for five thousand rupees as before. If a person is a member of multiple trade unions at the same time, then one month imprisonment will be sentenced. Earlier, he was sentenced to six months imprisonment for this crime.
According to the amended law, if the workers died in the accident while working, instead of one lakh rupees, two lakhs of rupees and if permanently disabled, then Sai one lakh rupees instead of two and a half lakh rupees. If a person is employed in a child or a child, he will be punished with a penalty of up to five thousand rupees. Under the new law, the post of Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General has been made Additional Chief Inspector by updating the post of Inspector. Apart from this, a number of new posts have been created in addition to the Joint Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General and Assistant Inspector General.
The Cabinet Secretary said that the revised labor law is not applicable to the EPZ area factory, but the efforts of the existing laws are consistent.