Call to Frame Law to Ensure Women Workers’ Rights

May 6th, 2010 | By cawinfo | Category: Agricultural workers, Informal Economy

Karmojibi Nari, a women’s rights organisation and one of CAW’s member groups in Bangladesh, yesterday demanded that the government formulate a law on agricultural labour immediately to ensure the rights of women workers in this sector.

Addressing a rally at Muktangon in the city, the leaders of the organisation also called for declaring Tk 5,000 as minimum wage for garment workers.

They said they have been running a postcard campaign since April 19 and will send 10,000 postcards to the prime minister and the labour and employment minister to press home their demands.

At the programme organised on the eve of May Day and its 19th founding anniversary, they dropped the postcards into a symbolic letterbox as part of their campaign.

Besides, they will collect one lakh signatures and submit the mass signatures along with a memorandum to the premier demanding formulation of the law.

Lawmaker Hasanul Haq Inu said no owners can live well keeping the workers unhappy and so they have to think about the welfare of the workers.

He demanded that the government introduce ration cards for the workers and announce Tk 5,000 as a minimum wage.

Referring to recent incidents in the garment sector, Inu, also president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, said these are happening due to lack of workers’ representatives at the factories.

He urged the government to give back the right to form trade unions at the factories immediately.

Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, chairman of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), said the constitution of the country states about equal rights of all and so it cannot go with a section of the society moves on and the other remains backward.

He said the law on agricultural labours will have to be framed keeping the interest of the workers.

Meher Afroz Chumki MP and Sharmin Kabir, general secretary of Karmojibi Nari, also spoke.

Lucia Victor Joyasilan, executive coordinator of Committee for Asian Women, attended the programme to express solidarity with the demands.

Later, they brought out a procession parading different city streets. A cultural programme was also held.