Baker to worker is not my job: Sakhawat

Labor and Employment Advisor Retired Brigadier General Dr. M Sakhawat Hossain said, “I have no industry, there is no garment that will take them (owner). I will be on behalf of those who are on justice. ”

“Those who have been unemployed in the garment industry have not done so,” he said. They have been compensated. It is not my job to be unemployed to a worker. ”

He said this while addressing the chief guest at a labor rally organized on Saturday (July 7th) on the occasion of 'July July 2021' in Savar.

Sakhawat Hossain said, “If a worker does not get work, he is not alone. He is involved with family, children, wife. We are trying, so that they are not unemployed in any way. ”

Referring to the factory closing, he said, “The factories who have closed, are members of the BGMEA. They have to tell what to do. There was no BGMEA before, so the labor ministry was not so involved. Now the closed factories are being initiated. Suppose Beximco, some foreign companies have come forward to run it. The discussion has been far ahead. ”

He alleged, “Many owners have fled the country, staying abroad with money from the bank for months. They didn't think about the workers. Now we have to see. How will the factory run if someone takes Tk 1,000 crore from the bank! 1 thousand, 3 thousand, 1 thousand crore – every company has a debt of Tk 1,000 crore. ”

Sakhawat Hossain said, “We have relaxed with the trade union. From now on, the owner cannot blacklist a worker. Each factory will have the right to trade unions. CBA will be determined through elections. They will raise the demands of the government for the workers. Not only in the mill factories, where there are more than 5 workers, I have ordered the implementation of Bangladesh labor law. ”

“For the welfare of the workers, 1.5 percent of the owners should be paid to the workers' welfare fund. You are now seeing how much the government is, how workers are. Before no one could speak, there would be disappearances, murders, sticks when they got on the street. No one would compensate, “said the adviser.

Sakhawat Hossain said, “I want to work for both the owner and the worker. At the time of the fall of the government, the whole social system, not just the government, was broken. It takes time to build it. When I joined this ministry six months ago, there was a lot of labor dissatisfaction. I said, I am a worker like the workers. I tried to keep that. ”

Regarding the surrounding politics, he said, “If there is a logical demand, the door to my ministry is always open. But the ministry is not acceptable to surround the ministry and attacks. I am also ready to go down the street to meet the minimum demand of the workers. ”

AHM Safikuzzaman, Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Employment presided over the function. Special Assistant Lieutenant General (Retd) Abdul Hafeez, Advisor to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar, Advisor to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Farida Akhtar, Advisor to Social Welfare and Women and Children, Sharmin S Murshid.

Five workers and their families were provided financial assistance on the occasion. In addition, the families of the dead and injured workers were also given assistance in the student movement in July.

The rally was attended by the divisional commissioners of Dhaka district, members of the law and order, officials of various ministries, owners-workers representatives, Savar Upazila administration, electronic and print media members and workers of various industries.