State-owned
farm workers’ struggle compelled the government to make permanent of precarious workers working at BADC.
BAFLF members who work at public agriculture research
institutes and farms as agricultural workers are vital for ensuring food
security in Bangladesh. But they are struggle to survive due to low wage, precarious
employment and lack of social protection.
On
December 29, 2022 BAFLF submitted their demands to the agriculture minister. The
demands include making permanent of precarious workers, wages increase,
improving gratuity benefits. Existing wages are very low given the current high
price of daily commodities and inflation; it is very difficult for workers to
manage their families and meet their basic needs with this low wages. In addition to permanent jobs, end to piece rate wage
systems and fair wage increase, the BAFLF is also demanding that paid maternity
leave be increased from 120 to 180 days, giving farm workers the same maternity
rights as farm management.
During
the meeting with the minister, Agriculture minister provided commitment that he
will resolve the demands by discussing with BAFLF. However, after no progress on negotiations, the Federation decided to go on strike sit -ins programme.
BAFLF members across Bangladesh started strike and sit-ins from last July 21 to demand an end to precarious employment as well as
abolition of piece rate wage systems and fair wage increase.
When BAFLF members country wide
collective protest was going on, on July 26, the agriculture minister requested
BAFLF to withdraw their strike and sit -ins providing assurance that agriculture
ministry would have a meeting with BAFLF to negotiate their demands.
BAFLF leaderships had a meeting with
the agriculture secretary on August 6. After the meeting Government formed a committee
to study the matter and provide recommendations.
Finally,
on 19 September Agriculture ministry issued three official orders in regards to
BAFLF demands. In which one order provide instruction to BADC authority to make
permanent of precarious workers working at BADC Farms that was BAFLF first
priority. All workers
working at Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and majority
of agricultural workers in other state-owned institutes and farms are employed
as precarious workers. The BADC play a crucial role in providing quality seeds
to farmers, which requires a permanent, trained workers, yet 100% of workers
are precarious.
Till
the year 2001 all workers in BADC were permanent. In 2001,
BADC authorities forced all 1604 permanent workers to take voluntary retirement
from their jobs and they abolished all permanent posts. At
present all workers in BADC work on daily basis. BAFLF has been fighting for
permanent employment of agriculture workers at state owned farms including BADC.
Government’s decision to make BADC workers permanent, it a big achievement of BAFLF
long struggle. Note that negotiation is on
in regards to wage increase, piece rate and
other issues.
