DHAKA, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi interim government has amended the country's labor law to make it easier for workers to form unions.
According to a gazette notification issued on Monday, Bangladesh's advisory council has approved an ordinance allowing groups of as few as 20 workers to apply to form a trade union, a major regulatory shift in worker representation, particularly in smaller industrial units.
Prior to the amendment, trade unions required the support of at least 20 percent of the workforce of a factory.
Under the ordinance, for the first time, house helpers will be recognised as workers while workers of non-profit institutions will be able to claim their labor rights and each worker will be entitled to a provident fund or pensions.
The amendment marks a long-awaited easing of restrictive unionisation rules in the South Asian country where only a fraction of registered trade unions are active.
It came after the government recently ratified three International Labour Organization Conventions that would guarantee workers' rights, safety and freedom from violence and harassment in the workplace. ■
