changes in the status of workers: bangladesh context in brief
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Enamul Hafiz Latifee Senior Assistant Secretary, Research and Development Cell, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA). DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.1575.0009 Year Published: 2016
Changes in the Status of Workers: Bangladesh Context in Brief
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 3
1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 4
2. Defining Status of Workers ................................................................................................ 5
3. Status of workers in pre-industrial society in brief............................................................. 7
4. Status of workers in quasi-post-industrial society in brief ................................................. 8
5. Change in the status of workers in Bangladesh Context .................................................. 11
6. Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 14
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Executive Summary
Interim stage identified and defined in this
study as quasi-post-industrial society
comprises some elements of industrial
society and some other components of
post-industrial society, the salient status of
workers are completely moved by this
stage’s all the characteristics. In addition,
there is a historical opposition between
capitalists and workers where sometimes
government takes a role to remove
exploitations and takes protective
measures to safeguard oppressors but in
this very competitive worldwide market,
sometimes, it has been also seen that, for
keeping down compliance costs, some
government bodies do not for hard
imposition of laws, and it is believed, this
motive gave birth to Rana Plaza collapse
in Bangladesh. But, after the accident,
everything changed dramatically and now
the workplace safety, economic freedom
and rightful job benefits are must to be
ensured here, which has changed the status
of workers as a whole. That is why, it can
be expressed that though change in the
workers’ status did take place in developed
countries from the very beginning
industrialization there, but here in
Bangladesh, the real visible qualitative
change in status of workers took place
after the 2013 AD. This report seeks
concerned government authorities to
execute formulated laws, policies, acts and
rules with better mechanisms as to ensure
development in parallel with United
Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development
Goals, ILO’s objectives and Vision 2021-
country perspective plan.
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1. Introduction
Change in the status of workers toward
better height requires the integrated
approach among workers, private
stakeholders and government bodies. In
global context, the change has started from
the industrialization era, but in Bangladesh
context change in status of workers exactly
has started after the Rana Plaza collapse.
That unexpected breathe taking incident
revolutionized the way of thinking and
practicing from treating workers, which
has promised workers to get minimum
wage, believed to narrow down the
inequalities between rich and poor, to
alleviate poverty and empower women
further- these are seen to be goals and
suggestive steps of International Labour
Organization too. Well enough,
Bangladesh is now a lower-middle income
country which has shown appreciable
performance in policy formulations by
addressing the issues but still it lags
behind far away from practicing and
executing those.
However, this study report defines Status
of Workers, discusses status of workers in
pre-industrial society in brief, status of
workers in quasi-post-industrial society in
brief, change in the status of workers in
Bangladesh context, step by step and
finally put forward some recommendations
on the table to be taken on account with
proper understanding.
2. Defining Status of Workers
Origin of the word status had been derived
during late 18th
century, as a lawful term
meaning 'legal standing' from Latin,
exactly 'standing', from gaze 'to stand'.
Hence, status is word which indicates an
occupied position in society by any
individual or group of people and usually
social status can be segregated in two
parts, i.e., ascribed social status and
achieved status (page, 139, Doda, Z.,
20051). It had been believed that ascribed
status is by born phenomenon, for
instance, being a girl or boy, white or
brownish person, mother or father, etc.
Apart from this, achieved social status
had referred to be attained through
competitions, by making efforts and
commitments, amid of rival situations
taking apparently favorable win-win
decisions (page, 140, Doda, Z., 2005). For
example, being a student or teacher, in
industrial context, being a worker or
entrepreneur.
One of the major differences between
ascribed status and achieved status is that,
the former one had existed mostly in pre-
industrialized traditional world landscape
while the countries-societies emphasized
1 Doda, Zerihun. (2005). Introduction to Sociology.
Debub University. Retrieved from, http://www.cartercenter.org/resources/pdfs/health/ephti/library/lecture_notes/health_science_students/ln_sociology_final.pdf [13 April, 2016]
more on ancestries, races, religions, castes
and gender identities. Nevertheless, the
latter one had been seen to exist and given
importance from the decades of industrial
revolutions that took place worldwide at
different times during late 18th
century.
Hence, salient status, the new additional
term that can be defined here to be an
individual’s position in most cases at most
occasions (Rosenberg et al., 19872;
Calhoun et al., 19943; Stockard, 1997
4). It
implies that there are some determinants
varying on time to label someone with his
status provided that his position is repeated
in most of the cases, and in this quasi-post-
industrialized period of time, socio-
economic and physical tangible matters are
objects to be the determinants of status.
Socio-economic and physical tangible
matters in a society changes when modes
of production, economic sector, usage and
source of resource, design of competition
and axial principle. Underneath, Table 1
depicts it all that how pre-industrial
society, industrial society and post-
2 Rosenberg, Michael, et al. 1987. An Introduction
to sociology. Second Edition. Toronto New York: Methuen 3 Calhoun, Craig, et al. 1994. Sociology. 6th Ed.
New York: McGraw Hill. 4 Stockard, Jean, 1997. Sociology. Discovering
Society. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Page | 6 Changes in the Status of Workers: Bangladesh Context in Brief, https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1575.0009
industrial society differ from each other
depending on the factors mentioned
earlier.
Table 1: Comparative schema among pre-industrial society, industrial society and post-
industrial society; Source: page 47, Bell, D. 19765.
5 Bell, D. (1976). Welcome to Post-Industrial Society.
Physics Today, February.
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As discussed earlier, comparing to this
Table 1, it is found that we are now living
at in a state in between industrial society
and post industrial society, as if some
characteristics of present society and
dependent status assemble the former one
and remaining characteristics assemble
latter one, hence, this study terms the
existing state as ‘quasi-post-industrial
society’, which simply indicates a
transitory period in between twos.
To recall, it is to be noted that the status of
workers is being not voluntarily given by
the capitalists, i.e., owners or
entrepreneurs, private stakeholders; rather
it is being achieved through consecutive
and consistent mix approaches comprising
of revolutionary and non-violent practices.
In additions, later sort of negotiations are
being lunched and being an important
player, government tried to make a win-
win situation by taking lawful and
organized welfare activities. And it is to be
accepted that ultimately, the status of
workers changed in better way with
promising lift in level of living standards,
however, remarkable progress is still
remained to take place.
3. Status of workers in pre-industrial society in brief
The salient features related to workers
conditions at the pre-industrial society
worldwide, especially in England are
expressed below,
i. From 1200 AD to 1600 AD, real
wage in England was completely
determined by the supply of the
labour, neither the efficiency nor
the productivity of labour and risk
in workplace determined that.
Therefore, the political uncertainty
and leisure-work hours trade off
had played key role for supplying
labour. However, at that time,
wages were completely rigid to
increase or decrease (Clark, G,
20056). But, from 1630 AD to 1690
AD, real wages rose near about
50% though population also grew
at modest rate. This peculiar
characteristic revealed that the real
wages at that time was not actually
reflective of any competitive
mechanism or working class’s
wants but was completely gobbled
up by capitalists’ unidirectional
and dominating approaches.
ii. The working environment was
noisy, dusty and private
stakeholders did not look at making
workplace safer or never took steps
6 Clark, G. (2005), “The Condition of the Working
Class in England, 1209-2003”, UC Davis.
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to ensure sanitary and
phytosanitary measures. These
issues lead workers regularly to fall
sick, by taking the advantages of it,
capitalists cut off their real wages
further which made workers poorer
further. Even after death, no
insurance claim was accepted or
mitigated.
iii. Along with the establishment of
workhouse following the Poor Law
Act of 1388 and New Poor Law of
1834, from 1300s to 1800s in the
name making poor people better
off, government gave a space to the
capitalist aristocratic class to
exploit workers under domestic
and producing works. They were
deprived of their wages, working
hour- was not even an issue to look
at, and other present day’s existing
benefits that come up with a job or
work were beyond imagination at
that time.
4. Status of workers in quasi-post-industrial society in brief
The major features coined with workers in
quasi-post-industrial society, particularly
in England has been briefed here,
i. From the beginning of industrial
revolution taken place first in
England, it has been observed that,
competitive market started taking
places everywhere and labour
market was not exception to that. It
enabled real wages not be
determined solely by population
growth but it had taken risk of a
particular work, inflation rate of an
economy, interest rate, opportunity
cost, consumer purchasing power
etc., on account too. This matter
transformed the labour market of
England and other following
countries in a qualitative way.
However, capitalists now believe
being convinced by the welfare
economists that ultimately a
worker also belong to the purchaser
group, so that, if workers are not
paid well then they will purchase
less, which will make product
surplus and inventory costs to rise
and capitalists have to incur losses-
this reasoning assisted capitalists to
go for better owner-worker practice
in terms of wage and other
financial facilities with a view to
growing together, which has been
proved accurate for developing
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country sectors, industries and
economy at a stable rate.
ii. As per the definition, quasi-post-
industrial society passes through a
transitory period; it means that this
period will require some tools to
drive it forward for being post-
industrial society. That is why
trade union has been formed
worldwide. International
organizations, federations,
foundations, ministries have been
established to ensure labour rights.
Namely, some of them are,
International Labour Organization
(ILO), Fair-wear Foundation,
Ministry of Labour and
Employment, Government of
Bangladesh, etc. This phenomenon
indicates that labour welfare is not
part of charity now, but it’s a
procedure of organized rightful
movement worldwide, which is a
major transformation.
iii. ILO and other cooperative partners
are working worldwide to ensure
work safety and many more things
and recently it has been revised
with a line to United Nation’s
approaches toward attaining 17
goals declared in the manifesto
titled “Sustainable Development
Goals”. These 17 goals are as
follows (see Figure 1),
Figure 1: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Source: UN, 20167.
7 United Nations (UN), 2016. Retrieved from, http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-
development-goals/ [13 April, 2016]
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ILO has also set up goals to be reached by
2030 AD- some of those are below,
a. Decent work for all. It is believed
that to achieve this goal, people-
centered policies which reduce
inequalities must be implemented.
These include social protection
measures, wage policies,
strengthened labour inspection,
increased female labour market
participation and protecting
collective bargaining (ILO, 20168).
b. Youth employment rate should be
increased and to ensure this, skill
gap should be identified and filled
up through proper capacity
building process (ILO, 2016).
c. Working conditions should be
improved and for that access to
financial sector should be eased
(ILO, 2016).
d. Safety and health at workplace
should be attained for must. To
have this, two things are must do,
i.e., firstly, urgent action is needed
to build a global culture of
prevention that respects the right to
a safe and healthy working
8 International Labour Organization (ILO), 2016.
Decent Work and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Retrieved from, http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_436923.pdf [13 April, 2016]
environment and ensures that both
employers and workers know their
rights and responsibilities.
Secondly, implementation of ILO
fundamental rights and standards at
the national level is crucial.
Vulnerable groups, including
migrants, require particular
attention to ensure their rights are
protected and working conditions
improved (ILO, 2016).
e. Social protection of workers should
be ensured, where government
should play leading role (ILO,
2016).
f. Inequality among different classes
across countries should be lowered
down. For reducing inequality,
wage stagnation must be addressed
as a matter of fairness and of
economic growth (ILO, 2016).
These measures have heightened up status
of workers as if from the definition of
salient status, we have learnt that
individual’s position in most cases at most
occasions define one’s identity thus his
status to be regarded. It is evident that,
above measures will surely change the
socio-economic condition of the workers
further and by 2030 what we will have
regarding status of workers should not be
appropriate to be termed as outcomes of
quasi-post-industrialization but full-
Page | 11 Changes in the Status of Workers: Bangladesh Context in Brief, https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1575.0009
fledged outcomes of completely post-
industrial era.
5. Change in the status of workers in Bangladesh Context
Surely, pre-industrialization, quasi-post-
industrialization and post industrialization-
these three stages of industrialization have
led three different types of status provided
toward workers, worldwide. However, to
understand the change in status of workers
within the context of Bangladesh requires
in-depth comparative analyses between
before and after Rana Plaza collapse as if,
before Rana Plaza collapse, from
government to private stakeholders, all
were reluctant about workplace safety,
building codes, maintaining minimum
surviving wage and many other matters
related to the scopes and opportunities
coined with decency, sanitary,
phytosanitary, wage-inequality, maternal
leaves. But, after Rana Plaza collapse, it
has come under the light of government of
Bangladesh, non-governmental local and
international development partners, related
industrial associations and workers group
that, lawful collective bargaining
approaches should be initiated, promoted
and emphasized for formulating and
ensuring above mentioned factors, i.e.,
from minimum wage law (see Figure 2)
set up to health security, etc.
Figure 2: Minimum wage law 2013; Source: Sarkar, L. C., 20149.
9 Sarkar, L. C., 2014. After Rana Plaza. Retrieved from, http://www.bkmea.com/images/media/iART-
pdf/Rana%20Plaza.pdf [13 April, 2016]
Class Wage-Year
2006 in BDT
Wage-Year
2010 in BDT
Wage-Year
2013 in BDT
Rate of Increase
in 2013 over 2010
in %
Rate of Increase
in 2013 over 2006
in %
Grade 1 5140 9300 13000 39.78494624 152.9182879
Grade 2 3840 7200 10900 51.38888889 183.8541667
Grade 3 2449 4120 6850 66.26213592 179.7060024
Grade 4 2250 3763 6420 70.608557 185.3333333
Grade 5 2046 3455 6042 74.87698987 195.3079179
Page | 12 Changes in the Status of Workers: Bangladesh Context in Brief, https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1575.0009
As if working conditions changed steadily and minimum wage by nights, workers of
Bangladesh are now enjoying better facilities here. Sensible business associations like
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters (BKMEA) are working day and night to
avoid any unexpected incident with the cooperation of government bodies of the country. To
be specific, BKMEA represents 2000 knitwear factories, for BKMEA’s thorough supervision
and monitoring system, from 1990s to present days, not a single unexpected incident took
place related to factory collapse. As if BKMEA’s approach can be taken as exemplary that is
why, it’s supervising and monitoring activities should be replicated by other associations to
ensure better status of workers. Table 2 may show it well how the progress left impact on
overall Ready-made garments (RMG) sector,
Table 2: Better working conditions existing in RMG sector now; Source: ACD, 201510
.
10
Asian Center for Development (ACD), 2015. Garment Workers in Bangladesh: Social Impact of the Garment Industry.
Grade 6 1851 3210 5678 76.8847352 206.7531064
Grade 7 1662 3000 5300 76.66666667 218.8929001
Apprentice 1200 2500 4180 67.2 248.3333333
Page | 13 Changes in the Status of Workers: Bangladesh Context in Brief, https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1575.0009
Table 2 shows that nearly 2% of the factories do not have fire exits, about 8.2% keep their
exits locked and nearly 17.3%of the factories reported to have blocked exits. About 94% of
the factories provided training to their workers about emergency exit procedures.
Interestingly, while 86.3% of the factories have cafeterias for workers, only 51.3% of
workers reported to have used them. Similarly, nearly 81.2% of the factories (reported by
workers) have facilities for childcare but only 14% of working parents in the RMG sector
have used them (ACD, 2015).
To monitor and regulate the changing status of workers, Bangladesh govt. initiated a range of
policies, acts, rules and laws, which are as follows (MoLE, 201611
),
i. Bangladesh Labour Rules 2015
ii. Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation (Amendment) Rules, 2015
iii. Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation Rule 2010
iv. National Integrity Strategy
v. Labour Welfare Foundation Acts 2006
vi. Bangladesh Labour Act 2006
vii. Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation (Amendment) Act 2013
viii. Bangladesh Labour Law (Ammendment) 2013
ix. Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy, 2015
x. National Occupational Health and Safety Policy 2013
xi. Child Labour Elimination Policy
xii. Bangladesh Labour Policy 2012
Recently Bangladesh govt. has prepared draft policies related to subcontracting and business
associations, which will tight up the situation to violate labour rules, policies, acts, laws and
will continue upholding labour welfare.
11
Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), 2016. Retrieved from, http://goo.gl/3Cqx9S, http://goo.gl/slxnaI, http://goo.gl/0uR7Sf [20 April, 2016]
Page | 14 Changes in the Status of Workers: Bangladesh Context in Brief, https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1575.0009
6. Recommendations
Recommendations are as below, which are
believed to serve the purpose- ensuring
status of workers to increase by 2021 and
2030 respectively.
i. Domestic Workers Protection and
Welfare Policy, 2015 is still subject
to be implemented and it is seen
that, still they are the most
oppressed one comparing to other
types of workers’ classes, as if
industrial workers are somehow
monitored under national tripartite
plan and in Ready-made garments
sector, factories are also covered
by ACCORD and ALLIANCE,
therefore, lesser chance to make
workers deprived of, but as if
domestic workers are still under no
umbrella, they are exposed to be
victims of tortures, extremely low
wage and basic human rights
violation.
ii. In industries, though now workers
are occupying better status and
average wage (i.e., Bangladeshi
Taka 6820) offered in RMG sector
is above minimum wage
(Bangladeshi Taka 5300) by
28.68% during 2014, but it has
been dug out that in terms of
compliance issues there are still
many things to be done. Apart from
this, there are other industries and
factories except export oriented
RMG, but surprisingly government
has still not lunched any fruitful
mechanism and initiative to
explore and transform those. This
study sees it as a serious threat to
the wellbeing of workers thus
status of them and recommends
Bangladesh government to defocus
the present focus and to go for
working with workers of other
manufacturing industries, i.e., ship-
breaking industry, ceramic
manufacturing industry, cement
manufacturing industry, real-estate
developing industry, etc, as if
repeatedly news media has
reported miserable conditions at.
iii. Phytosanitary and sanitary issues
are still yet to ensure in industries
which are directly linked to the
health condition of the workers that
has to be looked at with proper
concentration.
iv. It has been seen that, though
maternal leave and other kinds of
leaves are to be given to the
workers on the need basis, but
private stakeholders hesitate or
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sometimes not reward their
workers with it, which is
completely unexpected- hence, it
should be supervised by the
government to keep the status of
workers nourished.
v. UN’s SDGs and ILO’s objectives
in a line with those should be
manifested and implemented as
early as possible in a co-integrated
way; otherwise, workers status will
remain in a stagnant position which
happened in England from 1200s to
1600s.
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