Workers can’t be left out of climate action Says labour leaders

Business Report:

As the world prepares for the COP30 climate summit, Bangladeshi labour rights organisations have urged the government to ensure that workers’ voices are heard in all stages of climate-related decision-making.

At a press briefing held at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Sunday, the National Alliance for Just Transition Bangladesh (NAJTB) a coalition of trade unions and labour rights advocates called for a worker-centred climate action plan that guarantees decent work, job security, and social protection for both formal and informal sector workers.

Bangladesh is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, facing growing threats from floods, cyclones, and heatwaves. Yet, according to the NAJTB, workers’ concerns remain largely absent from national and global climate policies. “Workers must have a voice in shaping policies that directly affect their jobs and lives,” said Shakil Akhter Chowdhury, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Labour Foundation.

The alliance presented 10 key demands, including the inclusion of worker representatives at every stage of climate policymaking from formulation and implementation to monitoring.

They also proposed a tripartite ‘Just Transition Plan’, involving the government, employers, and workers, to address challenges such as job security, reskilling, income protection, and the rehabilitation of displaced workers affected by climate change.

The group further urged that climate finance, including resources from the Loss and Damage Fund, should prioritise vulnerable workers by supporting training, social safety nets, and alternative livelihoods.