Implementation of Labor Laws for Welfare of Workers: A Study on Ready-Made Garment Factories in Gazipur

Abstract

Ready-Made Garment sector is the most promising sectors in terms of
both employment and export earnings in Bangladesh. There are specific laws for
the welfare of labors of this sector which is known as Bangladesh Labor Act
2015, the latest version of Labor Laws based on previous Bangladesh Labor Act
2006 which was revised in 2013. Labor Laws prescribe different provisions such
as employment conditions, employment of young person, maternity benefits,
workplace safety, working hours and other welfare measures including
minimum wage rate. The study explored the present condition of labor
management practices in the factory sites of RMG sector in the context of the
Gazipur District (nearby Dhaka City) in Bangladesh considering some
significant labor rights as per Labor Law. Under random sampling technique
around 84 responses were utilized to gather reliable data. The data was
collected using “personal survey” technique and secondary information was
utilized to support the data. In the recent past, these laws were not implemented
properly in RMG industry. But this study examined that currently situation is
changing, and better practice of Labor Laws is in place and workers are getting
their rights. However, perfect practice of these laws is yet to take place in all
ready-made garment factories.