Govt committed to ensure rights, fair wages for labourers: Anisul

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq has said the government of Bangladesh is committed to ensure rights, fair wages and appropriate work environment for the labourers and it is working relentlessly to this end, reports BSS. 

Referring to Bangladesh's previous ratification of ILO Protocol 29, the law minister said, "We look forward to submitting our Instrument of Ratification for ILO Convention 138 to the ILO Office later this week. Over the years, we have prepared all our concerned stakeholders, including the social partners, to reach this stage in a consensus-driven manner. With this, Bangladesh has now joined the rank of countries that have ratified all the eight ILO Fundamental Conventions."

Anisul Huq made these comments at the 344th Session of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing Body in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday night, said an official release. 

The law minister said the government is committed to the implementation of the Roadmap on the Labour Sector in Bangladesh (2021-26), in a time-bound manner.

"Bangladesh's efficient management of the COVID-19 pandemic and its multi-dimensional impact has perhaps been best exemplified by the support extended to our workforce during the period. Our government allocated around one billion USD for paying workers' salaries at the most critical times of the pandemic. In addition, workers of 100 percent export-oriented industries as well as both formal and informal sectors continue to receive support from the Central Fund and the Bangladesh Labour Welfare Fund," he added.

The law minister further said Bangladesh has also developed a new National Plan of Action on child labour elimination in tandem with our commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

"In another sign of progress, earlier this year, we have expanded the list of hazardous jobs for child labour in the formal sector by five. During the height of the pandemic, we declared six additional sectors free of child labour. We do have reasons to feel confident about our steady advancement against this scourge," he also said.

The law minister is leading the Bangladesh delegation comprising State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian, Secretary Ehsan-E-Elahi, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) Executive Chairman Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Offices and other International Organizations in Geneva Md Mustafizur Rahman and Additional Labour Secretary Jebunnesa Karim, among others.