Staff Reporter :
The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) yesterday proposed the introduction of a wage guarantee insurance scheme by the government.
The CPD also recommended implementing a provision requiring employers to compensate workers for delays in wage payments.
The proposed insurance scheme, funded through employers’ contributions, would ensure timely wage payments to workers in the event of employer default, stated Tamim Ahmed, Senior Research Associate at the CPD.
Ahmed presented the proposal during a discussion titled “Reform in Workers’ Livelihood, Workplace Safety and Rights-Related Issues: An Agenda for the Interim Government,” organised at the CPD office on Sunday in collaboration with Christian Aid.
In his keynote presentation, Ahmed further recommended significantly increasing penalties for employers who fail to pay the minimum wage, particularly in cases of deliberate or repeated violations.
He highlighted that while minimum wages are set across 42 sectors in Bangladesh, they are often not revised regularly. Even in sectors where minimum wages exist, enforcement remains inadequate.
Ahmed also proposed introducing a national minimum wage and emphasised that there should not be separate labour laws for workers inside and outside export processing zones (EPZ), as this constitutes discrimination.
Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, head of the Labour Reform Commission (LRC), noted that approximately 85per cent of Bangladesh’s nearly 80 million-strong labour force is informal, equating to about 60 million workers without legal protections.
“Workplaces have expanded, and new software-based organisations have emerged, but the majority of workers remain outside the ambit of the law. As we discuss legal reforms, it is important to note that existing laws protect only a small fraction of workers,” he said.
Ahmed pointed out significant inequalities, particularly affecting outsourced workers at the lower end of the labour spectrum.
Unlike officer-level roles, which remain largely in-house, lower-tier workers lack legal safeguards.
He also highlighted the construction sector’s lack of formal or direct employment, as all workers are hired by contractors, making them invisible in terms of legal protection.
“We need reforms to ensure workers’ rights. Why should workers have to take to the streets to demand wages and basic rights? Drafting recommendations is only the beginning; implementation on the ground is critical,” he added.
Taslima Akhter Lima, member of the Labour Reform Commission and President of the Labour Federation, stressed the importance of protecting workers’ rights to life, livelihood, and expression.
“The labour force’s dignity must be upheld for the benefit of future generations. Work by labourers is often undervalued or ignored, which is demeaning and must change,” she said.
The CPD recommended that salaries and financial benefits be disbursed through formal banking channels and/or mobile financial services (MFS) or digital financial services (DFS). It also suggested enabling night banking services near industrial zones to accommodate workers.
Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Research Director at the CPD, moderated the discussion, while Nuzhat Jabin, Country Director of Christian Aid, delivered the closing remarks.
