10-point presented to protect tannery workers’ rights

Labour leaders of the tannery industry presented a 10-point recommendation to protect the rights of workers at a meeting in the capital on Tuesday, reads a press release.

The programme was organised by the Tannery Workers Union and Solidarity Centre-Bangladesh.

The 10-point recommendation presented in the meeting includes taking prompt steps to implement all the provisions of labour laws in tanneries, enhancing the occupational health and safety provisions for workers by forming a safety committee and

intensifying inspection operations, setting up a 50-bed hospital in the Savar leather industrial estate.

The recommendation also includes ensuring full implementation of maternity welfare facilities, ensuring social compliance while fully implementing waste management procedures with the establishment of a CETP to develop an eco-friendly and modern estate and to progress towards obtaining the Leather Working Group (LWG) certification, implementing the minimum wage structure announced by the government in every factory.

President of Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra Sahidullah Chowdhury said, "To safeguard the interest of around 6.5 crore workers, there should be a collective bargaining system. All worker organisations are needed to work together for realising workers' interests."

General Secretary of Bangladesh Trade Union Centre Wajedul Islam Khan said, "Unlawful termination of work contracts in the tannery sector must be stopped and the local people around the tannery industrial estate should be vocal about preventing environment pollution."

Abul Kalam Azad, president of the Tannery Workers' Union, said, "All workers and leaders must keep away from individual mandates and raise a collective voice to uphold worker rights."

AKM Nasim, country programme director of the Solidarity Center-Bangladesh, Tannery Workers Union President Abul Kalam Azad and Mohammad Nazrul Islam, program officer of Solidarity Center-Bangladesh, also spoke at the event.