Roundup: Thousands march in Bangladesh May Day rally calling for working time reduction, wage hike

Thousands of people, including members of trade unions and other workers' groups, marched through the streets of Bangladesh capital Dhaka on a sunny Monday to mark May Day, demanding working hours reduction and wage increase.

A survey conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies (BILS), a local think-tank, says workers in Bangladesh work for 12 hours a day on average.

The survey findings were released on Sunday, on the eve of May Day, or the International Workers' Day.

According to the survey, at least 46 percent transport workers work for more than 15 hours a day in the country, while over 40 percent work for about 13-14 hours, while 20 percent of them work without any regular rest.

The survey was conducted on working hours of five labor intensive sectors - security guards, transport, hotel/restaurants, re-rolling, and private hospital/clinic/diagnostic centers or pathological labs.

BILS Assistant Executive Director Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed told journalists that the May Day's main demand was eight hours of working a day, but in most cases it is still violated in local and foreign companies in Bangladesh.

He said officials, employees and workers are forced to work more than eight hours a day in some local and foreign companies in the country, which is blatant violation of the eight-hour working day recognized by the International Labor Organization.

"We're forced to work even on holidays without pay," said an official of a foreign agency who joined a rally of blue-collar workers in Dhaka on Monday.

"We're not entitled to overtime compensation for working on or before office times," said the official who declined to be named.

He said in some cases foreign companies in Bangladesh do not properly monitor their operations, paving the way for their representatives to commit workplace violence.

Abdur Rahim, who works for a local non-banking financial institution, said his directors often force them to stay in office after working time finishes.

"This is also a kind of labor exploitation which we can't tell being afraid of losing jobs."

Meanwhile, worker groups and trade unions, political parties, different government and socio-cultural and professional organizations have chalked out events for observing the day which is a public holiday in Bangladesh.

All public and private offices, courts, banks, markets, mills and factories remained closed.

All the state and private television channels and radio stations have been airing special programs to mark the day.

Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also issued separate messages on the occasion of the May Day.

The president said in his message that May Day is a unique and glorious day in the history of establishing rights of the working class.

He expressed hope that positive and amicable participation of workers and owners would enhance overall progress and productivity.

In her message, Prime Minister Hasina paid deep respect to the people who embraced martyrdom to establish fundamental rights of the working people in Chicago in 1886.

Hasina said the government has been implementing multidimensional programs to ensure safe working environment and social safety and to maintain cordial relations between owners and workers.

She expressed her hope that productivity of factories and mills would increase through cordial relations between employees and employers by following the spirit of the historic May Day. Endit