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Bangladesh Labor Laws (Amendment) 2013: Implication on Shrimp
Processing Sector
The recent amendments made in the Labor Laws 2006 have important implications for the
workforce engaged in the shrimp processing sector. Out of its 354 sections of the labor laws
2006, government has amended 87 sections to accommodate the emerging needs of the
labor deprivations including the right to unite and join in Trade Union. Among others, the
important areas of amendment include bringing the labor contractor and contract labor
under labor laws and the service benefits and compensation of a permanent labor at time of
his/her departure or of accidental death.
The definition of labor has been amended and brought the most fragile labor sectors
including ship breaking, ship building, security service, mobile phone companies, shrimp
vessels and shrimp processing under the new labor laws. Since the majority of the shrimp
processing workers are contract labor and more than 70 percent of them are female, the
amended labor laws bring labor contractors under government licensing is seen as added
value in the gender equality, a long standing area of inherent weakness often criticized by the
international labor rights organizations. Other amendment is the provision of 10% of the
office bearer of Trade Union should be female where 20% of total workers are female.
To ease enforcement, the extent of punishment has also been changed from Taka 5000 to
25000 in case of non-compliances, and can sanction six month imprisonment instead of three
months.
As soon as the amendment was published as government notification in 22 July 2013, the
BEST-BFQ organized training and orientation program for the Compliance Officer, Labor
Contractors, Labor Supervisors from the noted processing factories both in Khulna and
Chittagong regions. Apart from training and orientation, UNIDO provided assistance to hold
progress review meetings both in Khulna and Chittagong Division on labor laws compliance
under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Inspector (DCI), Department of Inspection, Ministry
of Labor and Employment. The DCI office is responsible to monitor compliance and act as the
competent authority to impose punishment.
The Labour Laws (2013) is available online for download: http://www.mole.gov.bd
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Processing Sector
The recent amendments made in the Labor Laws 2006 have important implications for the
workforce engaged in the shrimp processing sector. Out of its 354 sections of the labor laws
2006, government has amended 87 sections to accommodate the emerging needs of the
labor deprivations including the right to unite and join in Trade Union. Among others, the
important areas of amendment include bringing the labor contractor and contract labor
under labor laws and the service benefits and compensation of a permanent labor at time of
his/her departure or of accidental death.
The definition of labor has been amended and brought the most fragile labor sectors
including ship breaking, ship building, security service, mobile phone companies, shrimp
vessels and shrimp processing under the new labor laws. Since the majority of the shrimp
processing workers are contract labor and more than 70 percent of them are female, the
amended labor laws bring labor contractors under government licensing is seen as added
value in the gender equality, a long standing area of inherent weakness often criticized by the
international labor rights organizations. Other amendment is the provision of 10% of the
office bearer of Trade Union should be female where 20% of total workers are female.
To ease enforcement, the extent of punishment has also been changed from Taka 5000 to
25000 in case of non-compliances, and can sanction six month imprisonment instead of three
months.
As soon as the amendment was published as government notification in 22 July 2013, the
BEST-BFQ organized training and orientation program for the Compliance Officer, Labor
Contractors, Labor Supervisors from the noted processing factories both in Khulna and
Chittagong regions. Apart from training and orientation, UNIDO provided assistance to hold
progress review meetings both in Khulna and Chittagong Division on labor laws compliance
under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Inspector (DCI), Department of Inspection, Ministry
of Labor and Employment. The DCI office is responsible to monitor compliance and act as the
competent authority to impose punishment.
The Labour Laws (2013) is available online for download: http://www.mole.gov.bd
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