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Proceedings of the 8th Asia Pacific Seminar
Trades Union International of
Workers of the Building, Wood and Building Materials Industries [UITBB] [WFTU]
conducted jointly with JATIYA NIRMAN SRAMIK FEDERATION and IMARAT NIRMAN SRAMIK
UNION BANGLADESH the 8th Asia-Pacific Seminar at Hotel 71, Dhaka , Bangladesh
The inaugural session of this
seminar was held at the Supreme Court Bar Association Auditorium. More than 600
men and women construction workers from different parts of Bangladesh
attended this opening session. This session was presided over by Brother
Safiuddin Ahmed.
Madam Munnujan Sufian, Minister
of State, Labour & Employment in the government of Bangladesh , while
inaugurating the session told construction workers that they must unite to get
their rights realized. She said her government is pro-labour and there is still
more to be done for them. She assured the house that in the next budget session
of the Parliament, her government will introduce social security legislation to
protect the interests of construction workers. She also told the meeting about the
rights of working women in the construction industry and the protection of
migrant labour of Bangladesh
in other countries. They have a Ministry of Overseas Bangladeshi Workers.
The session was addressed by
brother Comrad Rashed Khan Menon, Member of Parliament and Brother Fazle
Hossain Badsha, M.P. Both of them told about the miseries of construction
workers of Bangladesh
and urged for legislation for legal protection of construction workers.
Mr. Andre Bugui, Director, ILO
office, Bangladesh
while addressing the session told that WFTU and their affiliates always sincerely
implement ILO programmes. He mentioned migrant workers problems and the need of
the hour to protect them.
Brother Dr. Wazedul Islam Khan,
Presidential Council Member, WFTU, explained that WFTU is the only class based
organization working for the emancipation of the working class. He assured the
observance of 3rd October 2012 as international day of action at the
call of WFTU in Bangladesh .
Brother Debanjan Chakrabarti,
General Secretary, UITBB, told about the discussion topics of this 8th
Asia-Pacific Seminar. He told about the present state of affairs of construction
workers n the region and our future course of action.
This session was also greeted by Vietnam , Japan ,
Australia , India , Pakistan ,
Nepal
delegates.
This 8th Asia-Pacific
Seminar was attended by Vietnam
[3 Comrades], Japan [8 Comrades], Australia
[1 Comrade], India [4
Comrades], Nepal [2 Comrades],
Pakistan [1 Comrades], Bangladesh [22 Comrades]
- in total 41 Comrades from 7 Countries. Of 41participants, 6 were women.
Debanjan Chakrabarti initiated
the Seminar discussion with a direct history of the UITBB & it Asia-Pacific
activities.
The first Session of Gender
Issues was presided over by Brother Safiuddin Ahmed. Comrade Anne Duggan of the
CFMEU Australia placed her paper with multi-dimensional approach. Brother Zakir
Hossain of Bangladesh ,
Jatiyo Nirman Sramik Federation, placed the 2nd paper on Gender
Equity in construction industry in Bangladesh . Brother Vijayan
Kuniseri, India
also placed his direct view on the issue.
All the participants took part in
a very live discussion. The conclusion was that every year all the construction
worker unions in the Asia-Pacific Region will observe the following
International Day of Action:
a) 8th March-
International Women’s Day
b) 2nd June – Stop
child labour
c) 25th November- Stop
violence against women
d) 1st December-
International day for protect yourselves from HIV/AIDS
e) 18th December-
International day to protect migrant workers.
Further it is decided that this
seminar participants will request UITBB Secretariat to have a working women
leadership training programme in the Asia-Pacific Region.
The 2nd Session was presided
over by Madam Anne Duggan on Migrant Labour issues.
Brother MASATO, Yamasaki,
Vice-President Labour Union of MLIT Japan placed a paper on Migrant
Labour with valuable inputs. Comrade Vijayan Kunnisery placed his view on this
topic. Comrade Safiuddin Ahmed of Bangladesh & Comrade Debanjan
Chalarabarti have placed their two valuable papers. Both papers were full of
inputs.
After frank discussion the
conclusion arrived at was that UITBB affiliates in this region must demand their
respective country’s government sign a memorandum of understanding with the government
of migrant workers receiving countries. The government of India has
signed 13 social security protection MOU’s to protect Indian migrant workers.
The third session on Safety &
Health was presided over by Comrade Rao of India .
In this session four papers were
presented by Japan
Comrades. Comrade Moriya Minoru, Vice-President KENKOUROU Japan, Comrade
Hiroshi Yoshide Director Construction and Allied Trades Division KENKOUROU
Japan, Comrade TANAKA MIKIO Member of the Executive Board KENKOUROU, National
Dump Truck Division Japan. Kumura Yasunori of Japan provided a paper for
reference. The Japanese delegation informed the participants that due to the
people’s movement of Japan
and the trade union demands, the government of Japan declared that they stop the
operation of 60 nuclear power plants.
Comrades from Nepal expressed
their views on this subject.
In the opening session, following
2 minutes silence, the condolence resolution on the death of 35 workers in a
fire in a shoe factory in Pakistan
and the death of 300 workers in a garment factory in Pakistan was passed by the
floor. The resolution also demands the
compensation of the families of the deceased workers.
One paper on OHS was also
presented by Comrade Abdur Rajjak of Imarat Nirman Sramik Union, Bangladesh . The
discussion was good & fruitful.
The conclusion of this session
was that UITBB and its affiliates of the Asia-Pacific region must raise the
demand for protective legislation for construction workers before their
respective governments. This legislative protection will not only safeguard construction
workers from recurrence of occupational incidents leading to injury and death
but also give social security benefits like accidental compensation, medical
treatment facilities, and old age pension, housing and basic necessities.
In the concluding session it was
discussed and decided to hold a workers meeting, procession and or seminar on 3rd
October 2012 to observe International Action Day at the call of WFTU in each
and every country of this Region by our affiliates.
The ‘Dhaka Declaration’ was also
discussed and finalized as follows
The
8th Asia-Pacific Seminar of Trades Union International of Building,
Construction and Building Materials Industries (UITBB), affiliated with World
Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) held at Hotel-71, Dhaka , Bangladesh
This
seminar expresses its solidarity with the workers of the world: those who are
fighting for the achievements of workers’ rights, food, shelter, and better
living wages and for social emancipation.
1.
UITBB & its affiliated unions and Federations will observe 3rd
October as International Action Day at the call of the World Federation of
Trade Unions [WFTU] this year and every year.
This
year WFTU demand-
Food
- nourishment for all people
Water
- clean water for all people
Books
- free, public and qualitative education for all people
Medicines
- free medicines for all the people
Housing
- decent housing for all people.
2.
On Gender Equity the 8th Asia-Pacific Seminar endorsed the decisions
and action plan of the UITBB Women’s Committee Meeting of Cyprus (March 2012)
which calls for implementation of the following International Days related to
working women’s rights in the construction industry
a)
8th March- International Women’s Day
b)
2nd June – Stop child labour
c)
25th November- Stop violence against women
d)
1st December- International day for protect yourselves from HIV/AIDS
e)
18th December- International day to protect migrant workers.
This
seminar requests that the UITBB secretariat meeting to be held in Spain
Further,
this seminar requests the secretariat consider the draft UITBB Charter of
Working Women’s Rights’ and on the basis of that charter organise an extensive
& intensive campaign to be launched in this region.
3.
On Migrant Labour this 8th Asia-Pacific Seminar calls on all UITBB
affiliates in this region to submit memorandum to the respective Government
Head to:
a)
Establish a separate Ministry to look after the overseas workers problems of
that particular country.
b)
Frame legislation to protect the inter-state and inter-country migrant workers
in respective country.
c)
Ensure governments of sending & receiving countries sign an MOU (memorandum
of understanding) to give legal protection to migrant workers. This memorandum
must ensure the extension of all facilities as per the declaration of the UN
charter.
d)
Ensure that equal wage & other facilities are assured for migrant &
permanent workers in the receiving country. UITBB will take up any violation of
human rights of migrant workers of any country with the ILO, WFTU, and the
respective governments to stop these violations.
e)
Register all migrant workers with government and relevant unions
4.
On Occupational Health & Safety, this 8th Asia-Pacific Seminar
called on all the affiliates of UITBB in this Region to raise their voice and
demand for-
a)
Separate legislation to protect construction workers from injury and death from
occupational incidents in the workplace, medical treatment for injured workers
and to save the workers from suffering of occupational diseases
b)
Social security benefits such as the old age pension, universal children’s education,
maternity benefits, housing facilities and other basic necessities of life from
their respective Governments
c)
Awareness and education and training for all workers.
All
the delegates and the General Secretary of the ITBB expressed their thanks to
the unions of Bangladesh and
the organizing committee for holding such a productive Asia
– Pacific seminar. The 9th Asia Pacific Seminar will be held. The Vietnam
This
8th Asia-Pacific Seminar was attended by 41 participants from Australia , Bangladesh ,
India , Japan , Nepal ,
Pakistan and Vietnam
Signed by
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