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Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work and Standards Program – Better Fisheries Quality (BEST- BFQ), UNIDO e-mail:[email protected] 1

Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

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Page 1: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female workers engaged in the shrimp

processing industries of Bangladesh

Md. NuruzzamanNational Expert, Better Work and Standards Program – Better

Fisheries Quality (BEST- BFQ), UNIDOe-mail:[email protected]

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Page 2: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

We mourn and pray

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For the 412+ workers died from the building collapseExpress our solidarity with the sufferings and

deprivations bereaved families..

Page 3: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Outline of the presentation• Introduction – about the industry• Admissible rights & benefits for the workers• Baseline status • Interventions & outcomes• Results • Challenges • Conclusion

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Page 4: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Introduction• Shrimp processing industry is considered

economically vital for export earnings, employment generation

• There are (54+32+4) 90 shrimp processing industries running in Bangladesh– In Khulna 42 EU + 12 Non-EU– In Chittagong 21 EU + 11 Non-EU– In Dhaka 4 EU

• Over 50,000 labor working in shrimp factories, about 80% are women (formal sector)

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Page 5: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Introduction

• There are 220,000 shrimp farms covering 247,187 ha land in sw districts (Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Jessore Narail & Cox’s Bazar) – Over 120,000 Bagda farms, average farm size: 1.4 ha– Over 100,000 Golda farms, average farm size: 0.58 ha

• There is no good statistics on no. of labors engaged in this part of the industry (informal sector)

Page 6: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

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Page 7: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Rights and benefits – BLA 2006• Rights

– Appointment letter & ID– 8 hours duty – Paid leaves under BLA – Minimum wage– indiscriminated wage – Joining /formation of Trade Union

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Page 8: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

• Benefits– Overtime at double rate– Cash against accumulated AL– Maternity benefit – Gratuity & Provident fund– Share of net profit– Compensation for accidents– Compensation for job termination

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Page 9: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Baseline status• Strong criticisms locally and internationally for gross non-compliance

of labor rights and benefits – visible inability to embrace recent growth

• UNIDO’s technical collaboration with GOB assisted financially by EU and NORAD undertaking baseline & TNA/Gap Analysis

• Engagement of NGOs & signing of MOU with BFFEA

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Page 10: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

The Interventions• Development of Training Manual• Robust baseline study• Training of Trainers (TOT)• Follow up Training• Assessment of Compliance Status• Factory based Labor Laws training for workers and

staffs• Personal interview of over 1500 workers (62%

female)10

Page 11: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Activities• Baseline study covering 2000 female workers

from 37 processing factories• Baseline status shared through 4 stakeholder

workshops in 4 districts• Organized 4 TOT where 78 officials were

trained (using a customized Tr Manual)• Organized 10 Follow-up training where 217

mid-level officials from 51 processing factories attended

Page 12: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Activities• 50 batches of 2 day long Labor Laws training for

labors covering 1532 participants from 25 Processing Factories

• 30 participants in each batch, 20 female and 2/3 staffs from admin & accounts

• Basic labor rules taught, participation encouraged by group work, group presentation, questions & answers and quiz competition

• Factory based labor trainings are ongoing – as the mainstream activities to keep the industry aware and informed – to stay in business

Page 13: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Summary activities

Type of Training

Participants Location # of events # ofparticipants

Training of Trainers (TOT)

Inspectors, MOL&EQuality Control OfficersFIQC, DOF; Executives from Processing Factories & NGO

Khulna Chittagong

04 78

Follow-up Training

Mid-level Officials from shrimp processing factories

KhulnaChittagongCox’s Bazar

10 217

Factory Based Training

Workers and Staffs from shrimp processing factories

KhulnaBagerhatChittagongCox’s Bazar

50 1532

AwarenessMeeting

Owners and Managers Khulna 04 120

Trade Union Training

Trade Union Leaders from shrimp processing factories

Chittagong 03 55

Page 14: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Outcomes• Awareness raised, positive decisions by good

factories also by government• 4 awareness meetings with top level

management• Changes are seen in many cases:

– Appointment of new ‘Compliance Officer’– Prepared own Training Plan for LL Training– Opened Training Register to keep training records– Hoisted display boards, festoons & posters– Emergence of new ‘Trainers Pool’ within industry

Page 15: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Results

• Better wages• Issuing of Appointment Letter & ID Cards• Major leaves ( no perennial work)• Maternity Leaves - started• Trade Unions (new)• Government announced amendment of BLA

Petition to withdraw GSP was the trigger!

Page 16: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Challenges• Contract labors are still under poor compliance

level• Male workers are in better positions with better

wages• Intermittent supply of raw materials (shrimp)

prevents better compliance• Top management/owners are yet to convince

regarding the obligations of complete compliance of LL

• Policy weakness in BLL 2006 is seen as barrier against inspection & enforcement – new hope?

Page 17: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Opportunities

• 50% of the industrial workforce in Bangladesh are women, in shrimp, it is 70-75%

• There is good room for improvements– Work safety and occupational health– Labor compliance– Skill development– Formation of association (TU) – 12 new TU

• Shrimp and frozen food sector is a strong candidate for continued development

Page 18: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Social JusticePatriarchic view

• Jobs are made • Status escalated both in family

and society• Thousands are still

unemployed• Can enjoy spending • Take part in decision making in

family

Feminist view

• Strong discrimination at work• Deprivation of rights &

benefits• Unequal opportunity • Violence Against Women

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• PGNs are met• Good space are created• Understanding of SGN

increasing

Neutral view

Page 19: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Some findings

Gendered dimension Workers types

19

Male, 512, 38%

Female, 844, 62%

Factory Permanene

t , 2459, 61%Contractor

Permanent, 161, 4%

Contractor Casual,

1431, 35%

Page 20: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

201

125134

125

145

35

110

59 55

334

0

84

10

105

0

86

0

1810 15 10

20

0

1810

2 820

35

123

40

5 0

50

0

22

50 50

80

40

82

180

0

50

5

60

250

0

160

21

108

50 50 45

675

475

431

395

358

341

306

161153

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Workers category in 9 Shrimp Processing Factories, Chittagong, 2012

Permanent to Factory M Permanent to Factory F Permanent to Contractor M Permanent to Contractor F

Casual to Contractor M Casual to Contractor F Total Labor

Page 21: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Below 2645 2645-3000 3001-3500 3501-4000 4001-5000 5001-6000 6001-7000 7001-up

Wage discrimination (%) between male & female worker in Ctg

Male Female

Page 22: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Wage discrimination (%) in Kln

05

101520253035404550

0 0

8

2721

44

1

21

47

21

6 4

Male Female

Page 23: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Some good pictures

Page 24: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

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Page 25: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

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Page 26: Rights, benefits and social justice: Status of female ... · of female workers engaged in the shrimp processing industries of Bangladesh Md. Nuruzzaman National Expert, Better Work

Thank you

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