Readymade garment manufacturers on Sunday called for revisions to several clauses of the Bangladesh Labour Act (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, warning that certain provisions could pose risks to the industry.
The interim government published the ordinance on November 17 in the past year.
Speaking at a discussion, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Mohammad Hatem said that although most of the amended provisions were acceptable, a few clauses required urgent reconsideration before implementation.
He said the amendment process involved extensive consultations, beginning with more than 300 proposals, which were later reduced to 101 and further refined through technical committee discussions.
Of them, 79 provisions were finalised with consensus, while additional proposals were agreed upon in subsequent meetings of the Tripartite Consultative Council involving representatives from the government, employers, and workers.
However, Hatem alleged that some provisions were incorporated at the final stage, bypassing earlier consensus, raising concerns among stakeholders.
Referring to the definition of ‘worker’, he said that under the previous law, the term excluded those engaged primarily in administrative, supervisory, or managerial roles.
‘But the amended clause now includes employees or officers working for wages within the definition of worker, which may create instability in factories,’ he said, adding that the provision did not reflect the decisions taken at the TCC.
On service benefits, the ordinance states that a permanent worker would receive seven days’ wages for each year of service up to three years, 15 days’ wages for service between three and 10 years, and 30 days’ wages for service exceeding 10 years.
Hatem said the TCC had agreed on a different structure — seven days’ wages for service between three and less than five years, and 15 days for five to less than 10 years — calling the revised timeframe ‘illogical’.
He also raised concerns over the provision on collective bargaining agents, noting that the ordinance allows a trade union in a factory to be recognised as the collective bargaining representative.
‘A union should qualify as the CBA only if it secures at least 51 per cent support through an election,’ he said.
Hatem further presented proposals to revise clauses related to gratuity, provident funds, maternity welfare, and the formation of committees to address discrimination, violence, and harassment.
He also questioned the lack of transparency in the process, alleging that meeting minutes were not shared with participants, contrary to standard practice.
‘Out of 124 amended sections, we have objections to only four or five key provisions, while supporting the rest as largely favourable to workers,’ he said.
Responding to a question, he said that while reasonable recommendations should be considered, provisions that could harm the industry must be avoided.
‘Any law must reflect domestic realities rather than external expectations,’ he added.
On the issue of blacklisting, Hatem said the intention was not to target ordinary workers but to take action against individuals involved in violence, harassment and vandalism in industrial areas, stressing the need for a legal mechanism.
He also rejected the notion that non-worker employees were deprived of their rights, saying officers and staff could seek remedies through contracts and courts.
‘Bangladesh has already demonstrated its commitment to labour rights by ratifying several International Labour Organization conventions, but legal reforms must remain practical and implementable,’ he added.
BKMEA executive president Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, senior vice-president Amol Poddar, and vice-president Shamim Ahmed were also present at the discussion.
