Proceedings of the 8th Asia Pacific Seminar

Proceedings of the 8^th 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 8^th Asia-Pacific Seminar at Hotel 71, Dhaka, Bangladesh on 15^th & 16^th September 2012.

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 3^rd 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 8^th 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 8^th 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 2^nd 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) 8^th March- International Women’s Day

b) 2^nd June – Stop child labour

c) 25^th November- Stop violence against women

d) 1^st December- International day for protect yourselves from HIV/AIDS

e) 18^th 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 2^nd 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 3^rd 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

DHAKA DECLARATION

The 8^th 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, on 15^th & 16^th September, 2012 unanimously endorsed this Dhaka Declaration.

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 3^rd 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 8^th 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) 8^th March- International Women’s Day

b) 2^nd June – Stop child labour

c) 25^th November- Stop violence against women  

d) 1^st December- International day for protect yourselves from HIV/AIDS

e) 18^th December- International day to protect migrant workers.

This seminar requests that the UITBB secretariat meeting to be held in Spain in December 2012 consider expanding the working women’s leadership training programme to the Asia Pacific region.

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 8^th 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 8^th 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 9^th Asia Pacific Seminar will be held. The Vietnam delegation will explore the possibilities of hosting this seminar.

This 8^th Asia-Pacific Seminar was attended by 41 participants from Australia, Bangladesh, India, Japan, Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam.

Signed by

Australia-

Bangladesh-

India-

Japan-

Nepal-

Pakistan-

Vietnam-