Great May Day is being observed today—a day to uphold the rights and dignity of workers. On 1 May 1886, workers in Chicago’s Haymarket affair sacrificed their lives while demonstrating for an eight-hour workday. Following that legacy of sacrifice, working people around the world have continued to fight for fair wages, humane treatment, and safe working conditions.
Workers in Bangladesh are no exception. Alongside their struggle for rights, they have played a strong role in every democratic movement in the country. Article 14 of the Constitution of Bangladesh states: “It shall be a fundamental responsibility of the State to emancipate the toiling masses—the peasants and workers—and the backward sections of the people from all forms of exploitation.”
Yet, even 55 years after independence, workers remain among the most deprived groups in terms of securing their rights. In recent years, many have faced repression and even death while protesting for fair demands. Due to flawed policies of previous governments, the closure of factories has left a large number of workers unemployed over the past two years.
This year’s May Day comes at a time when the impact of tensions involving Iran raises concerns about serious disruptions to the lives and livelihoods of migrant workers in both Bangladesh and the Middle East. Rising fuel prices and disruptions in import and export trade have triggered a new wave of inflation, placing even greater strain on the working population.
The significant economic progress Bangladesh has achieved owes much to the contribution of its workers. If the government and employers wish to sustain this growth, they must ensure minimum wages, job security, and safe working conditions. No industry can thrive by exploiting its workforce.
But what is the reality? With a few exceptions, workers in most sectors remain severely deprived. Despite working tirelessly day and night, many do not earn even the minimum wage required to live decently with their families. Far from meeting international standards, wages and benefits for workers in Bangladesh—including in the garment and tea sectors—lag behind those in neighbouring countries.
In this context, the government must take steps to raise workers’ real wages to protect them from the impact of inflation. To help them survive during difficult times, social protection programmes—such as open market sales in labour-intensive areas—must be expanded.
The harsh reality is that more than 85 per cent of workers in Bangladesh are engaged in the informal sector. As a result, they lack not only legal rights and workplace safety, but also any guarantee of regular employment and wages. Moreover, the new class of workers created by technological advancements is also deprived of legal and labour rights.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has repeatedly raised concerns about the labour situation in Bangladesh. It has emphasised the need to ensure labour rights, stop attacks and harassment against workers, and carry out necessary reforms to labour laws.
In this reality, the interim government had formed a commission to reform the labour sector. However, many worker-friendly provisions in the commission’s recommendations were curtailed when the labour ordinance was issued. Unfortunately, the current parliament has passed the ordinance as a bill after further revisions. Decisions such as reducing the number of trade unions and narrowing the definition of workers undermine labour rights. We believe this has been possible due to the lack of representatives in the national parliament and policymaking levels who genuinely advocate for workers’ interests.
Observance of May Day in Bangladesh will be meaningful only when workers are freed from all forms of exploitation and deprivation. If workers survive, industries will survive—and if industries survive, the country will thrive. Workers’ rights and safety must be ensured.