Despite an estimated 1.2 crore people involved in Bangladesh’s fisheries sector, with 14 lakh directly dependent on it for their livelihood, these workers are yet to receive legal recognition as laborers.
This situation has led to calls for immediate action to confirm their identity as workers and secure their fundamental right to form trade unions.
The demands were raised by speakers at a national dialogue on the legal rights and social security of fisheries workers, organized by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) with support from the German think tank Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, held on Tuesday at The Daily Star Centre.
Speakers at the dialogue highlighted that legal protection and life-saving measures for fish workers are critically weak, with inadequate social security programs available. They said a major legal loophole exists: the current Labor Law only covers workers in fishing trawlers and the fish processing industry, leaving all other fish workers outside the scope of legal safeguards.
Furthermore, outside the shrimp and trawler industries, there is no established wage structure for these workers.
Exclusion from Law: The majority of fish workers are excluded from labor law and inspection mechanisms.
Unregulated Environment: Labor law provisions regarding employment, health, safety, medical treatment, and compensation are routinely ignored.
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Health and Safety Risks: Workers face severe health risks with negligible provision for medical treatment or compensation. Wages and personal protective equipment (PPE) are not standardized for all.
Debt Trap: Workers are commonly trapped in a network of informal loans and advances (dadan).
Vulnerability at Sea: Life-saving measures against natural disasters like storms and tidal surges, or human threats like pirate attacks, are deficient. The absence of a modern signal system at sea further increases the risk of death.
Inadequate Assistance: Government assistance provided during fishing ban periods is insufficient for survival.
The dialogue emphasized the urgency of legal reforms to establish the rights of fish workers. Specific recommendations, considering national commitments, the Constitution, labor policies, and the guidelines of relevant conventions like ILO Convention No. 188, include:
Confirmation of Worker Identity: Officially recognizing and ensuring the identity of fish workers as laborers.
Legal Inclusion: Including all fish workers under the purview of the national Labor Law.
Social Security: Launching appropriate social security schemes for workers and their families.
Minimum Wage & Compensation: Establishing a minimum wage and instituting a comprehensive compensation system for all workers.
Trade Union Rights: Guaranteeing the opportunity for workers to form and be represented by trade unions.
The dialogue's goal was to formally inform key national stakeholders about the findings and recommendations, build consensus, and mobilize support for necessary policy reforms to improve the legal rights, social security, life, and livelihood of fish workers in Bangladesh.
The session was chaired by Naimul Ahsan Jewel, BILS Advisory Council Member and Convener of the National Fish Workers' Rights Forum, and the research findings were presented by BILS Deputy Director Advocate Nazrul Islam.