The government and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have taken up an initiative to make garment workers aware of their rights and responsibilities. As part of the initiative, a radio show was launched on Thursday to help workers in the export-oriented readymade garment, leather and shrimp better understand their rights and responsibilities in the workplace. The weekly one-hour radio talk show titled “Amar Shrom Amar Odhikar (My Labour, My Rights)'” will be broadcast on Radio Today (89.6FM) beginning from today (Friday) at 17.00hrs and all the 16 shows are scheduled in a regular schedule on Friday. The government in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and supported by Norway launched the local-language radio-show for workers in a city hotel. “This radio show will be listened to by large numbers of workers around the country. By covering important issues in an interesting and informative manner it will boost understanding of basic labour issues to the benefit of workers and employers alike,” information minister Hasanul Haq Inu said. “Workers around the country need to better understand both their rights and their responsibilities. I strongly encourage workers as well as supervisors and managers, union members and even those outside of factories to tune in each week, listen and learn,” state minister for labour Mujibul Haque said. The main target audiences of the radio talk discussion programmes are workers, supervisors and factory-level managers. This radio show will mainly focus on export-orientated sectors, such as ready-made garment, shrimp processing, shoes and leather. However, the majority of the issues covered are equally relevant to workers in all sectors. A wide-range of issues are scheduled to be covered that will provide practical and useful information to listeners. Subjects will include women’s rights in the workplace, overtime and working hours, festival pay and leave, dangers in the workplace, the role of labour inspectors, trade union formation, leave, job loss and rights of temporary or seasonal workers. The ILO country director Srinivas B Reddy said, “This radio show will help contribute to improved industrial relationship in Bangladesh. We plan to feature a variety of speakers including experts on labour rights as well as union leaders and other special guests who will really help listeners understand workplace issues that are important to them.” RJ Sakib will host the show and each week, he will be joined by an expert guest to discuss the topic of the week. The audience will also be invited to call in with their questions on the subject so that they can be discussed on air. In order to further appeal to the target audience, the shows will also feature songs performed by workers as well as a weekly ‘Know your labour rights’ competition to win various prizes. Listeners will be able to tune into the radio show in all major industrial areas of the country like Dhaka, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Khulna, Bogra, Sylhet, Mymensing and Barisal.
