Improving Labour Standards by Recognising Local RMG Towards to Ensure Decent Work
Overview
The Local Readymade Garment (LRMG) Industry in Bangladesh contributes 80% of the country’s local consumption. The majority of factories are situated in Narayanganj, Keraniganj, Chattogram, and Syedpur. Unfortunately, the government does not recognize its significance. About 250,000 workers are employed in LRMGs in Keraniganj, Dhaka, with 314 towers and 5,714 factories. Due to a lack of proper rules and regulations, workers do not have access to institutional facilities such as standard wage rates, contract agreements, regular working hours, identity cards, or paid leave. There is also no provision for maternity leave or separate restrooms for female workers.
BLF implemented this project from January 2022 to May 2023 in Keraniganj, supported by Mondiaal FNV, with the goal of improving labor standards by recognizing Local RMG to ensure Decent Work and reducing the existence of child labor and Gender-Based Violence in the workplace.
Objectives
- Local market RMG is recognized as a small industry under the BSCIC.
- Strengthened Trade Union on organizing and collective bargaining to organize the workers and raise voices for the workers’ rights & welfare.
- New recruitment of child labour will stop, and existing child labour will be removed by 2023 from the local market RMG in Keraniganj.
- Women workers will be organized, and violence against women will be decreased in the local market RMG in Keraniganj.
- Factory owners and workers practice the OSH system to introduce a decent workplace.
Project Components
Organising, FoA, Young and Women Leadership, Occupational Health & Safety, Fire Safety, Elimination of Child Labour, Gender-Based Violence, Social Dialogue.
Location
Keraniganj, Dhaka
Donor
Mondiaal FNV
Duration
January 2022 - May 2023
Stakeholders: The stakeholders include workers, trade unions, owners and owners’ associations, LGI representatives, local administration, DIFE, DoL, MoLE, BSCIC, local elites, and community leaders, etc.
Project intervenes: This project intervented in 50 towers, including 1,652 factories. The total beneficiaries were 24,838 (direct 9,032, indirect 15,806). This project took 5 capacity-building initiatives, conducted 960 awareness-raising sessions, and held 6 advocacy-lobbying meetings.
Key Outcomes: The government enlisted Keraniganj child labor in the National Hazardous Child Labor list. DIFE has developed an action plan approved by the Ministry of Labour, aiming to eliminate child labor from Keraniganj LRMG by 2025. A total of 1,095 new members have joined 3 trade unions in this period. Young and women potential leaders are moving towards unionization. As a result, Keraniganj Trade Unions are now much more motivated and organized. We have been able to establish 15 tower-based women’s committees, safety committees, and child labor elimination committees. Moreover, 82 employers have installed water filters for the factory workers, 5 towers have arranged separate toilets for female workers, 158 factories have installed fire extinguishers, and 103 employers have installed trash bins in the factories.
