Unrealistic labour law reforms risk market stability, warn employers
Unless capacity-building measures are prioritised, repeated legal amendments would “only add uncertainty, discourage investment, and risk chaos in the labour market,” the press release said
The Bangladesh Employers' Federation has warned that unrealistic amendments to the Bangladesh Labour Act may appease external quarters in the short term but would ultimately undermine enterprise sustainability, labour market stability, and the livelihoods of millions of workers.
In a press release issued today (4 September), the federation, along with major sectoral associations, reaffirmed its commitment to upholding international labour standards but stressed that reforms must be "rooted in Bangladesh's ground realities, industrial context, and institutional capacity - not in prescriptions driven by external pressure."
Employers expressed concern that despite tripartite consensus on most proposed changes under the International Labour Organization and EU roadmaps, "fresh recommendations are being imposed, effectively sidelining both employers and workers who are the principal stakeholders in the world of work."
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One such proposal, they said, is allowing only 20 individuals to form a union at the enterprise level, regardless of enterprise size.
Employers cautioned that such a provision "disregards industrial realities, exposes enterprises to manipulation by external interest groups, threatens workplace stability, and undermines investor's confidence."
The statement further noted that the real gaps in labour rights enforcement lie not in legislation but in "under-resourced institutions, weak labour inspection, and ineffective monitoring and dispute-resolution mechanisms."
Unless capacity-building measures are prioritised, repeated legal amendments would "only add uncertainty, discourage investment, and risk chaos in the labour market," it said.
Calling on the ILO and development partners to uphold tripartism, employers urged the government to "steer this process in a pragmatic, balanced, and consultative manner - one that protects national interests, sustains Bangladesh's competitiveness, and advances labour rights in ways that are both credible and workable."
