MAY 1 is celebrated all over the world as International Workers鈥� Day or Great May Day. The day is a very significant and historical moment for the working people of the world. It is also a source of inspiration and motivation. Almost one and a half hundred years ago, in 1886, the victory of the working people started through the united struggle and self-sacrifice for the realisation of workers鈥� rights. May Day is not the product of a one-day movement but of a long period of struggle for the realisation of demands. Hence, historic May Day, or 鈥業nternational Workers鈥� Day鈥�, is a day to protect the dignity of workers and establish their rights. Workers鈥� demands for eight working hours are now internationally recognised, even in the ILO Charter. One of the trigger points of the continuous struggle of the working class, May Day, is designated as the symbolic day of the struggle and victory for the establishment of the rights of the working class. This day has been celebrated worldwide as International Workers鈥� Day since 1890.
History tells us that on May 1, 1886, tens of thousands of workers in the city of Chicago in the United States began a general strike demanding an eight-hour workday and their fair wages. The strike culminated in a mass movement on May 3 and 4, but the police opened fire to quell the agitation, and 10 workers lost their lives instantly. At the same time, many workers were injured, and numerous workers were arrested. Six of the arrested workers were later hanged, and one labour leader committed suicide while in jail. Since 1890, the day has been celebrated with due dignity in all countries of the world to commemorate this glorious chapter of the labour movement.
Standing on the gallows on November 11, 1887, a leader of the labour movement said, 鈥淭he time will come when our silence in the grave will be louder than fiery speeches and will inspire the struggle for the victory of the working class, and this will forever be remembered in the history of the labour movement.鈥� His prophecy of that day has been proved literally today. It is a memorable chapter in the history of the labour movement. Founded on their self-sacrifice, it has become an international day. Therefore, May Day speaks of the march of thousands of workers and the uncompromising struggle for worker rights.听
But the concern is that although the workers have gained some of their rights through struggles and sacrifices, they have not fully achieved their rights in all aspects. Even though May Day is celebrated, the workers are still neglected and exploited. Even today, they cannot secure their desired wages. The rule of eight hours of work may have been established in the workplace, but the oppression of workers has not stopped, and the real dignity and value of labour have not been established. Workers are now subjected to various forms of discrimination all over the world. We can easily understand this from the frequent labour protests in different countries around the world.
In Bangladesh, workers are also subjected to various forms of oppression, and their rights are largely ignored. The sorry state of the garment workers or the tea workers speaks of their deprivation. Garment workers are often protesting, blocking roads for their demands. The owners are often cheating the workers. Labour leaders are being arrested, and labour unions are being busted.听Moreover, labour unions in Bangladesh are often aligned with different political parties and less concerned with worker rights. Many unions prioritise party interests over worker interests. On the other hand, the number of women workers is noticeable in the garment industry. But here too, out of about four million workers, only 63,000 workers have been given permission to form a union, and that too is bound by various conditions.
Bangladesh has been ranked among the 10 worst countries for the seventh consecutive year in terms of workers鈥� rights points to the government鈥檚 failure to ensure workers鈥� rights. The 2023 ITUC Global Rights Index, conducted and published by the International Trade Union Confederation, has ranked Bangladesh among the 10 worst countries for workers, citing that there is no guarantee of rights for workers in Bangladesh. The index has specified a severe lack of workplace safety measures, violent repression of worker movements, mass dismissals and arrests of union leaders, and restricted rights to unionisation as worrying signs of labour rights violations in Bangladesh. The index depicts the world鈥檚 worst countries for workers by rating 149 countries on a scale from 1 to 5+ on the degree of respect for workers鈥� rights, with 1 being the best rating and 5+ the worst. Bangladesh鈥檚 rating was 5, which indicated no guarantee of rights for the workers in the country. The index observes that workers鈥� rights in Bangladesh continue to be severely curtailed. It also mentions that the country鈥檚 EPZs prohibit workers from forming trade unions while workers鈥� attempts to form unions are ruthlessly obstructed and strikes are met with brutality even in the garment industry, the largest industry in the country.
The National Occupational Safety and Health Profile also found rampant violations of labour laws in workplaces. The profile found that violations occurred mainly in recruitment and job conditions, children and adolescent workers, maternity welfare benefits, occupational health, occupational safety, occupational accidents, compensation and safety committees, welfare measures, working hours and holidays, payment of wages, social security (group insurance, provident fund and profit sharing) discrimination, and others. Labour rights experts and activists have for long pointed out that a lack of strict and regular monitoring by the authorities concerned and slack enforcement of the law have led to the sorry state of labour rights.
Workers鈥� rights were recognised with the establishment of the International Labour Organisation as an important subsidiary organisation of the United Nations. The ILO has so far formulated 183 conventions to establish the fundamental rights of workers, and Bangladesh has ratified 33 conventions, including eight core conventions. Moreover, according to the existing labour laws in the country, the government is responsible for ensuring the rights of the workers. But how much rights our workers are getting and how much welfare has been achieved for them are questions that need to be answered. According to the latest survey of the Bangladesh Labour Force, the total number of workers in the country is about five crore. One-fourth of these are female workers. May Day goes, May Day comes, but worker rights are not ensured.
Like other countries in the world, workers鈥� rights are not well established in our country; they are neglected in many ways. In many workplaces, workers are insecure and deprived of fair wages. Minimum wages for workers in the garment sector, the country鈥檚 most labour-intensive industry, are not being followed in all cases. The situation in other industries is more fragile. After a long wait, a labour law has been enacted in the country where agricultural workers have been recognised. There is a policy to recognise both male and female domestic workers as workers. These are words of hope, but beyond this, workers in many informal sectors remain deprived.
There is no substitute for ensuring fair wages, workplace safety, necessary facilities, and a better quality of life for workers to create healthy conditions in industries and increase worker productivity. Our expectation today is that the industrial owners, the government, and all concerned will be committed to ensuring the proper implementation of the labour laws in order to establish the dignity and rights of the workers for the sake of healthy industrial development. Ensuring the trade union rights of workers is the need of the hour. Another major driver of the country鈥檚 economy is remittances sent by migrant workers working abroad. The state must also take a responsible role in ensuring the rights and facilities of those workers abroad and at home. The government must, therefore, ensure labour rights, improve legal and policy frameworks, systems and services related to labour rights, and facilitate workers鈥� rights to unionisation.
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Md Zillur Rahaman is a banker and columnist.