Workers Welfare Associations

The government's approval of a draft law that allows workers to form a 'Workers Welfare Association' in Export Processing Zones (EPZS) would be laudable but for the confusion associated with the move. While the government's stance is that such an association would work like a trade union, labour rights leaders are of a different opinion. As far as workers are concerned, these two are not the same thing, and to say so would be misleading. 

It seems that the draft law is a compromise to cater to the needs of the rights groups as well as the investors who have resisted such provisions. According to the Bangladesh EPZ Act 2010, trade unions are not allowed in EPZs which is possibly why the government has chosen to approve of a 'workers welfare association' that it says will incorporate the rights guaranteed in a trade union and will work as the central bargaining agent for the workers.  

However, we feel that such an arrangement related to the welfare of the workers should have been in place long before now. It is important that we fulfill all the conditions stipulated by international convention, including ensuring the rights of workers as stipulated by the ILO Convention which Bangladesh has signed. This includes the freedom of association and right to collective bargaining which are the basic tenets of a trade union. 

There is no doubt that the workers welfare association will bring a big improvement in working conditions and workers benefits. The fear expressed by worker rights activists, however, that the current draft law provisions will be passed off as the right to form trade unions, should be allayed by the government.