Observing May Day

AS we observe another May Day, we note with concern that despite tremendous economic progress over the last few decades, a vast majority of workers in Bangladesh continue to live and work amidst extremely precarious conditions, denied their rights to a fair wage, safe working conditions and collective bargaining. It is frustrating that even 129 years after the Hay Market incident in Chicago, when workers were killed during a general strike for an eight-hour workday, we have failed to guarantee even eight-hour workdays and overtime of workers in many different sectors. 

In the wake of the two year anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, we are reminded of the brutality of an exploitative capitalist system, and of the great strides we have to make to ensure the basic rights of workers. With workers' lives still valued at Tk. 1 lakh as per our labour law, it is no wonder that workers are treated as disposable, replaceable units of production. The compensation provisions in the Labour Law must be changed immediately and a more equitable compensation scheme put in place to support victims and their families.

Despite the amendments made in 2013, the Labour Law still remains inadequate in addressing the demands of workers; the 30 percent minimum membership requirement to form a trade union, especially in large companies, is a hindrance to guaranteeing trade union rights for workers. The law does not extend freedom of association and collective bargaining rights to workers in export processing zones. Notably, there are no systematic laws to protect domestic, agricultural and informal sector workers. We have still not been able to guarantee safe working places for our women workers, particularly women migrant workers. 

The observations on May Day would have little meaning if we cannot make workers' rights a priority in the national imagination.