The Labour Reform Commission in its final report to the interim government on Monday recommended that a ‘permanent minimum wage commission’ should determine a national minimum wage for workers across all sectors irrespective of government, non-government and private jobs.
MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS
- Permanent Wage Commission, revision in every 3 years
- Fine for delay in wage payment
- Nat’l worker database with registration for all
- Universal social safety net for injury, illness, early retirement
- 6-month maternity leave
The commission also recommended the determination of separate minimum wages, not less than the national standard, on the basis of the nature of work, level of occupational risks, sector, and the region the worker is employed in.Â
The recommendations further include increasing the national and sector-wise minimum wages in every three years, enforcing insurance, and bringing all workers under a social safety net in case of occupational hazards, casualty, sickness, or untimely retirement.
 Formed on November 18 in the past year, the commission, led by Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, submitted its final report to the chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his official residence Jamuna in Dhaka.
At the Shrama Bhaban in the afternoon, the commission chief briefed journalists on the summary of the report.
Citing that recommendations also aimed to help informal and the expatriate workers get identification cards and registration as workers so that they can gain job security and social safety under the labour law, Sultan said, ‘We want to break the non-bargaining barriers of the informal sectors.’
For this purpose, the commission stressed the creation of a ‘national workforce registration system and database’ on an emergency basis.
 If there is a delay in paying wages, workers must be informed in advance and if the due wages are not paid within the rescheduled date, the employer will be obliged to pay a penalty at the rate of 0.5 percent of the wage for each day of delay, up to a maximum of 30 days, Sultan said, citing the commission’s recommendations.
The commission also recommended a minimum 60-day maternity leave and a benefit scheme for neonatal mothers, daycare facilities in labour-intensive zones, enactment of policies to prevent sexual abuse and violence as per the 2009 High Court order and the establishment of more labour courts to minimise workers’ grievances.
Citing the recommendations to eliminate discriminations based on gender, race, religion, group and ethnicity, Sultan said, ‘We have recommended a workplace cooperation committee and an arbitration body at every industrial unit so that the aggrieved workers do not need to take to the street to press their demands.’
Criticising the failures of the previous projects to eradicate child labour, the commission recommended the publication of a ‘white paper’ on the projects.
Regarding workers’ compensation in case of their occupational death or disability and occupational safety, the commission recommended the Accord-formulated safety measures adopted after the Rana Plaza tragedy. Â
Ending outsourcing workers and the regularisation of the outsourced workers in permanent works were also recommended by the commission.
Replying to a question on how to implement the recommendations, the commission chief said the interim government could issue an ordinance to facilitate workers’ registration and the creation of a database on them.
To mainstream government intervention for the wellbeing of workers, the commission recommended the formation of four departments for the inspection of factories, labour and industries, skill and employment, and social safety for the workers.
‘A labour conference can be held to design a roadmap for implementing the recommendations. Workers can motivate political parties to include these into their election manifestoes so that the next government must implement these,’ he concluded.
The commission members including Mahfuzul Haque, Zakir Hossain, Tapan Dutta, AKM Nasim, M Kamran T Rahman, Chowdhury Ashikul Alam, Shakil Akhter Chowdhury, Anwar Hossain, Farrukh Ahmed, Rajekuzzaman Ratan, Taslima Akhter and Ariful Islam were present in the press briefing.
