The role of trade unions in protecting rights of labourers in the readymade garments (RMG) sector of Bangladesh: a comparative analysis of Bangladesh, Chinese and Indian laws

Among all other sectors which are related to growth and overseas currency earnings, the readymade garments (RMG) sector is the best contributor in the Bangladeshi economy. It adds nearly 83% of entire income from the export and also makes lots of job opportunity for unemployed people. After the recent historical tragedies happened in garments factories in 2012 & 2013, the RMG sector is facing an enormous crisis due to laborer unrest. Besides, these events have affected the image of the country worldwide in the matter of laborers’ safety issues and have gravely impacted the overall Readymade Garments sector in the country.The representative of the importer countries and experts pointed out that the impact of a trade union is insignificant, and collective bargaining right of laborers are weak in the Readymade Garments sector in this country. The trade union is entitled to give a decent platform for managing the well-being of numerous laborers systematically and resolve the work-related disputes between the owners and laborers. But the amount of trade union in the Readymade Garments is not satisfactory in the comparison of the numbers of the total RMG factories in Bangladesh.As stated by the Constitution of Bangladesh, freedom of association is a fundamental right of Bangladeshi citizens, at the same time, as an approval country of the International Labour Organization Conventions named ‘Freedom of Association’ and ‘Right to Collective Bargaining’, it is a duty for Bangladeshi government to make their national laws by the ILO conventions. However, there are over restrictions on the formation of trade union and unnecessary interferences upon trade union’s activities, elsewhere, the rules and regulations regarding the trade union are also insufficient to support the laborers powerfully. Because of this, laborers are not being encouraged to establish or tie up with a trade union in RMG sectors of Bangladesh.The specialties of this research are to reveal of the impact of the trade union on improving the laborers’ rights in the working place and point out the weak legal links in the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006. Though Bangladesh government amended this Act twice in 2013 and 2018, it is still insufficient to secure the right of association and collective bargaining of laborers’. Moreover, this paper also recommended some ways by comparing with the other two countries’ legal framework to solve this weakness and make this Act strong enough to support the laborers. By which the laborers will be able to set up or enter into trade union voluntarily, also can perform all trade union’s activities independently. Besides, the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 will be able to achieve the international standard following the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions.