Cabinet clears draft law with jail provision for calling strike illegally 

The cabinet today gave final nod to the draft of "Essential Services Act, 2022 " keeping a provision of maximum one year in jail for illegally calling strikes in the essential service sectors including transport and fuel.

The approval came from a regular weekly meeting at the Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair on Monday (31 October).

Of the 14 sections, the no 4 describes the services which the government will declare as essential services while another section deals with strikes, lockdowns or layoffs. 

"The industries often go for layoffs or knock outs. If the government feels such an action is not justified, it can prevent the move," Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam told a news briefing after the meeting.

Transportation of passengers or goods by land, water, rail and air will be considered as essential services, he said, adding that "If someone stops the movement of buses or trucks by enforcing strikes or hartals illogically, then the government can take action. The draft law has provision of penalties for non-compliance."  

The cabinet secretary said, "If someone commits an offense under the law, he will be imprisoned for 6 months and fined Tk25,000. If anyone supports illegal strikes, he will be imprisoned for one year and fined up to Tk50,000."

He further said that some of the essential services are mentioned in the proposed law such as postal and telecommunication, information technology, e-commerce, electronic and digital services. 

The government thinks that these services cannot be stopped at any time without any valid reason, he added.

"Digital financial services such as mobile financial services, power-gas-coal generation, supply and marketing are essential services. If any deadlock arises in these sectors, the government can intervene," said the cabinet secretary.