Public Sector Workers (Service Conditions) Bill introduced in parliament

A bill was introduced in Parliament on Wednesday, which seeks to bring the workers of the goods producing public sector enterprises under the legal framework of revised wages structure.

Labour and Employment Minister Engr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain introduced the bill, titled `The Goods Producing Public Sector
Enterprises' Workers (Service Conditions) Bill 2012’. The House sent the Bill to the parliamentary standing committee on the Labour and Employment Ministry for further scrutiny.

Earlier, the Cabinet gave the final approval to the draft of `The Goods Producing Public Sector Enterprises' Workers (Service Conditions) Bill 2012’ to bring the workers of state-owned factories under the legal framework of revised wages structure.

In 2010, the government had constituted the National Wages and Productivity Commission to introduce new wage structure to meet the demands of the workers in the perspective of the prevailing situation.

The Cabinet later approved the recommendations made by the Commission to the government.

In the light of the recommendations, the government through gazette notification can fix the wages of the workers of the state-owned enterprises, house allowance, medical allowance, transport allowance, laundry allowance, festival bonus, contributory provident fund, tiffin allowance, gratuity, night shift allowance, group insurance, education allowance and other facilities.

According to the newly introduced bill, wages of the workers of the state owned factories will come into retrospective effect from July 1, 2009 while other benefits from July 1, 2010.