Ratify ILO convention on domestic workers
Demand rights activists
Labour rights activists demanded yesterday the government immediately ratify the recent convention of International Labour Organisation (ILO) that recognised domestic workers as labourer to ensure their basic rights and decent work.
The demand came from a news conference organised by Domestic Workers Rights Network (DWRN), a coalition of trade unions and rights bodies, at Jatiya Press Club in the city in association with Manusher Jonno Foundation.
The speakers also demanded amendment of the country's labour law in line with the convention "Decent work for domestic workers" adopted by the ILO on June 16 while its 100th annual conference was in progress. The convention recognised the domestic work as labour and domestic help as a labourer in ILO's 183 member countries. Bangladesh is a member of the ILO.
Presenting the keynote paper, Dr Wajedul Islam Khan, general secretary of Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra, said the convention's ratification alone is not enough to uphold the domestic workers' rights; the government must make it work.
Dr Khan said oppression on domestic workers is increasing as 25 domestic helps, mostly children, were tortured to death and another nine injured seriously this year. Employers often escape punishment due to absence of effective measures to ensure punishment in such crimes, he added.
The speakers said more than 20 lakh people are working as domestic helps in the country with 80 percent of them being women and children.
Their other demands include quick approval of the Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy-2010, ensuring legal protection to stop killing and humiliation of the domestic workers and exemplary punishment to the torturers.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Labour Federation Adv Delwar Hossain Khan and Coordinator of DWRN Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed were present at the press conference among others.
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