The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments on Tuesday presented an 11-point reform proposal, including increasing penalties for labour law violations and mandating labour licences as a compliance requirement before commencing production in any factory.
During a meeting with the Labour Reform Commission, the DIFE also forwarded proposals aimed at ensuring a decent working environment for all workers, covering both the formal and informal sectors and increasing compensation for accidents at work.
During the meeting at Shrama Bhaban in the capital, the department proposed the measures to facilitate essential amendments to the Labour Act and ensure its effective implementation.
The interim government on November 18 formed the Labour Reform Commission to make required recommendations aiming to reform the country鈥檚 labour sector to ensure workers鈥� rights and welfare.
The DIFE recommendations also encompassed establishing offices in all 64 districts and multiple deputy inspector general offices in labour-intensive regions.聽
To address labour issues and prevent worker unrest, the formation of a dedicated labour intelligence agency was also proposed.聽
DIFE emphasised the need for ensuring the timely payment of wages within seven working days of the month, with notification to the respective area inspector, and called for stringent measures against workplace sexual harassment.聽
The proposals included empowering labour inspectors to impose on-the-spot administrative fines for labour law violations and allowing them to seek assistance from law enforcement agencies when necessary.聽
The department also suggested making breastfeeding corners mandatory in factories.聽
鈥楾he Labor Reform Commission is working to ensure the health and safety of workers in both formal and informal sectors,鈥� the commission chairman Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed said in the meeting.
DIFE inspector general Omar Md Imrul Mohsin said that a harmonious coordination between employers and workers was very important for the development of the labour sector.
Necessary reforms and their implementation were also needed for ensuring workers welfare, he said.
Labor Reform Commission members Mahfuzul Haque,聽 Zakir Hossain, AKM Nasim, Chowdhury Ashiqul Alam, Shakil Akhtar Chowdhury, Taslima Akhtar and DIFE additional inspector general Arif Ahmed Khan, Bangladesh Trade Union Sangha president Rashedul Alam, Bangladesh Employers Federation secretary general聽 Farooq Ahmed, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association executive president Fazle Shamim Ehsan and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association member ANM Saif Uddin, among others, were also present in the meeting.