Six garment workers federations have joined forces with a union of domestic women workers to form a new trade union for migrant workers’ rights.
The new trade union platform launched on Wednesday was named Trade Union Platform for Migrant Workers, reads a press release.
The platform elected an 11-member governing council to lead its activities for the next two years.
“We have been speaking irregularly about migrant workers’ rights. From now on we will speak frequently about them,” said Babul Akhter, general secretary, of Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, a founding member of the new trade union.
The other founding members of the platform are the Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers Union Federation, Bangladesh Revolutionary Garments Workers Federation, Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation, Akota Garments Worker Federation, Garment Sramik Sanghati Federation, and National Domestic Women Workers Union.
The platform also has four associate founding members who have no voting power. They are Solidarity Centre, Bangladesh, Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity, Awaj Foundation and Bangladeshi Ovhibashi Mohila Sramik Association.
The platform intends to work to create an atmosphere in which migration is fair and safe.
The platform aims to work at home and abroad to ensure the rights of migrant workers and end discrimination against them.
“The initiative is different given that it brings in a trade union for migrant workers,” said AKM Nasim, country program director, of Solidarity Centre.
“Previously mainly civil society organizations were working with migration issues,” he said.
Chandon Kumar Dey has been elected the president of the governing council of the trade union while Lily Gomes will act as the member secretary.
The new trade union platform was launched in a program in Dhaka.
The program was also attended, among others, by Monika Hartsel, deputy country program director, of Solidarity Centre Bangladesh.
