Still no list of those unemployed by pandemic

An overwhelming number of people, both in the formal and informal sectors, have lost their jobs in Bangladesh due to the pandemic, but unfortunately the government lacks any data on the actual number of people who may have been impacted. Although the Labour Policy 2012 says that the government will take steps to maintain detailed information on employed workers based on each firm and sector, it appears that no such initiative has been taken over the last eight years to make a comprehensive database of workers in the country. Informal estimates suggest there are between 1.3 crore to 5 crore workers who have been unemployed as a result of the pandemic.

When The Daily Star contacted the Department of Labour (DOL), Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment (DIFE) and Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation (BLWF) enquiring about a list of unemployed workers, not only were these departments unable to provide any satisfactory answers, but they also seemed to lack any plan of how to help these people tide through the difficult times. Without a comprehensive list, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to design interventions that can provide systematic support to unemployed workers. For instance, the labour ministry has formed crisis management committees at the district level, who are tasked with the responsibility of making lists of affected workers and submitting them to local administration for food aid. However, thousands of unemployed workers have not received anything yet and there's no guarantee if, or when, they will receive any support.

Workers in the informal sectors, who constitute a whopping 85 percent of the working population, have been the worst hit by the pandemic, lacking any social or legal protections or employment benefits. Labour leaders point out that there is a Tk 400 crore fund set up under the Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation Act 2006 to support workers in the informal sector, but thus far, no initiative has been taken to use some of this fund to alleviate the sufferings of those who are now on the brink of starvation.

We urge the government to immediately make a comprehensive list of unemployed both in the formal and informal sectors so that it can come up with a holistic plan and allocate sufficient funds to support them, if need be, by exploring untapped resources, such as the Tk 400 crore welfare fund.