Business Desk :
Labour leaders, industry owners and experts have called for institutionalising social dialogue across all sectors to prevent disputes and ease negotiations, especially after the recent labour law amendments.
They spoke at a discussion titled “Social Sustainability in the Industrial Sector: Current Issues and the Way Forward,” organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), the Embassy of Denmark and The Daily Star in Dhaka.
Joint labour secretary Md Abdus Samad Al Azad said Bangladesh has ratified key ILO conventions and now needs a clear roadmap for implementing them. Dialogue must be more transparent and better coordinated, he added.
Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies said social dialogue must be institutionalised to be effective, especially as automation threatens jobs.
The amended labour law, gazetted on November 17, lowered the trade union formation requirement and added new safety and maternity obligations.
Workers welcomed the changes, but factory owners argued that allowing unions with only 20 workers may disrupt stability. Trade bodies also said several Tripartite Consultative Council recommendations were excluded.
BGMEA Vice-President Vidiya Amrit Khan said buyers impose separate codes of conduct while offering low prices, making a unified code essential. Newage Group’s Asif Ibrahim said Bangladesh should not need multiple codes as it has already ratified major ILO conventions.
Workers’ representatives said the informal sector remains neglected. Kalpona Akter noted automation-related job losses, while Taslima Akter Lima said women workers need stronger social protection.
Officials said around 140,000 safety flaws were found in factories. CPD researcher Tamim Ahmed said safety gaps persist in transportation, construction and agriculture. Shah Abdul Tarik of the Department of Labour stressed the need for upskilling as automation accelerates.
The discussion was also addressed by CPD’s Avra Bhattacharjee and moderated by The Daily Star’s Tanjim Ferdous.
