STUDY REPORT ON
SECURITY AND SAFETY NET OF GARMENTS WORKERS: NEED FOR
AMENDMENT OF LABOUR LAW
Abstract
Role of labour and industrial laws are of paramount importance. Total economy of a country
greatly depends upon the industrial sector. Proper management of labour is an essential matter
for growth of industrial sector. The object of Labour laws is no doubt to maintain industrial
peace and to meet the surge of problems in employment and to protect the rights of workmen.
But due to various defects and loopholes in the labour laws the workers in our country are
indiscriminately victimised and are deprived of their legal rights. So it is a question whether the
Bangladesh Labour Code, 2006 along with its amendments is a proper law in all aspects to meet
the demands of the labour of Bangladesh. This study mainly aims at justifying the status of
compliance regarding security and safety net of the garments workers in Bangladesh in line with
national and international legal framework and standard practice coupled with the vow to
investigate the main loopholes of the present labour law in the country. This study has employed
both qualitative and empirical approach because of mixed nature of the problem with a view to
achieving the best outcome of the research. After analyzing primary and secondary data this
study came up with few recommendations important of which are the Labour Act should include
appropriate penalty provisions for wage discrimination between male and female workers and for
not arranging awareness training by owners. Effective application of the National Labour Policy
2012 is a must to ensure decent work, occupational safety and health within the general
framework of rights of workers. Government may make 30 ‘Special Monitoring Cell (SMC)’ and
5 ‘Apex Monitoring Cell (AMC)’ that will monitor the security and safety net of workers. In
terms of factory construction, factory owners must follow building code strictly. Those who will
not follow it must be punished severely. As this labour intensive industry, there must be a
‘Special Approval Authority (SAA)’ for building of factory. All members of this team must be
expert and factors like earthquake must be considered. Housing accommodation provided by
employers will be make worker feel safe and work peacefully. Number of Inspectors should be
increased and they must by biasfree while visiting garments factory and interviewing workers.
Inspectors should use observation method to get information. Finally, it is essential to make