At a Tripartite Consultative Committee (TCC) meeting in Dhaka, it was decided that a minimum of 20 workers can form a trade union (TU) in a factory, and up to five TUs will now be allowed per factory instead of the current limit of three. However, collective bargaining will still require representation from the majority of workers.
The meeting, chaired by Labor and Employment Adviser M Sakhawat Hussain, was attended by representatives from government, employers, and workers. The decisions are part of proposed amendments to the labor law to align with international standards amid pressure from the EU to ensure compliance for future GSP+ trade benefits after Bangladesh’s LDC graduation.
Other decisions include:
· Maternity leave extended to 120 days from 112 days.
· Tk 50,000 penalty for violations of maternity leave provisions.
· Discussions on worker definitions, mid-level staff associations, sexual harassment, and workplace violence.
· Reactions were mixed:
· Employers expressed concern that the 20-worker threshold is too low and was imposed on them.
· Labor leaders welcomed easier TU formation but argued that requiring a majority for collective bargaining will remain difficult for workers.
· The EU earlier stressed the importance of labor law reforms to sustain Bangladesh’s trade privileges.
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