Journalists’ role sought to uphold rights of tannery workers

Speakers at a programme sought cooperation from journalists to protect the rights of tannery workers.

They made the call while addressing a press briefing titled ‘Health Conditions and Health Protection of Leather Industry Workers’ at Bangladesh Press Council conference hall in the capital recently.

Tannery Workers Union and Solidarity Centre-Bangladesh Office jointly organised the event in collaboration with Bangladesh Labour Rights Journalists Forum, said a press release.

President of Tannery Workers’ Union Abul Kalam Azad moderated the event while Belal Ahmed, former head of community medicine department of Dhaka National Medical College, was present as the main speaker.

Bangladesh Labour Rights Journalist Forum President Kazi Abdul Hannan, former Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Managing Director Azizul Islam Bhuiyan, and Bangladesh Alo editor Mofizur Rahman Khan (Babu) were present as guests.

Tannery Workers Union General Secretary Abdul Malek and Bangladesh Labour Rights Journalist Forum General Secretary Ataur Rahman participated in the discussion.

While presenting the keynote paper, Mohammad Nazrul Islam, Program Officer of Solidarity Centre-Bangladesh Office, said that a full-fledged hospital with 50 beds should be established immediately for leather industry workers. Apart from this, there is a need to increase the wages to prevent malnutrition among the workers, as well as providing better quality food to the workers in the factories.

He requested the government and employers to ensure the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by the workers.

In his speech, Dr Belal Ahmed said that every factory should be promoted as a safe and hygienic factory to ensure the health and safety of the workers. For this, the owners have to come forward. Apart from this, regular skill development and health awareness training should be provided to workers and management personnel to avoid accidents.

Kazi Abdul Hannan urged journalists to regularly report on the health risks of leather industry workers. He requested the employers to take initiative to increase health awareness among the workers and establishing occupational hospitals to protect the health of the workers.

Besides, he called upon authorities concerned to improve the working environment of the factories by forming an observation team consisting of owners, workers, buyers, local public representatives and media workers.

Azizul Islam Bhuiyan said that the demand should be presented to the government by organising a mass meeting in the Hemayetpur leather industry area of Savar to realise the legal rights of the workers and the establishment of a hospital. Local people also need to be united with this initiative.

Mofizur Rahman Khan (Babu) requested journalists to report more on labour issues in the media.

Abdul Malek said, “We have repeatedly appealed to the higher levels of the government, but we have not received any positive response regarding hospital and housing arrangements for the workers in the leather industrial city.”

He urged journalists to highlight the matter through their reports.

Abul Kalam Azad called on the government and the tannery owners to set up a permanent health care centre with one MBBS doctor, two nurses and medical examination facility under the supervision of BSCIC under the management of tannery workers union until a full-fledged hospital is established.