A total of 593 labour unrests took place in different industrial sectors of the country in 2020 mainly due to non-payment of wages and deprivation of rights, according to a latest report.
The readymade garment (RMG) sector witnessed the highest 264 unrests, followed by 49 in the jute sector and 46 in sugar mills, according to the report by Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS).
Besides, at least 729 workers died in the workplace accidents across the country last year.
BILS revealed the findings of the report, prepared based on the information published in several newspapers, at a meeting at the National Press Club in the city on Saturday.
In 2019, a total of 434 labour unrests were recorded while RMG sector alone witnessed 134 of such unrests.
The workers last year took to the streets demanding reopening of laid-off factories and arrears, bonus and other allowances, according to the findings of the report.
It said factory layoff amid the Covid-19 pandemic was another reason for the labour unrests in 2020.
Meantime, the highest 348 workplace deaths were recorded in the transport sector, followed by 170 on construction sites and 67 in the agriculture sector, according to the report.
Some 49 day labourers were killed in 2020 while 35 workers in the power sector, 27 fishing workers, 15 steel mill and re-rolling mill workers and 15 water transport workers were killed in workplace accidents.
BILS also found that at least 316 workers died of torture in 2020 and the incidents mostly took place outside of the workplaces.
The highest 90 transport workers died of torture, followed by 42 agriculture workers, 52 expatriate workers, 25 RMG workers and 16 domestic workers.
A total of 433 workers suffered injuries due to workplace accidents, the BILS report showed.
According to the report, out of the 729 workers who died in workplace accidents last year, 723 were men and six were women.
In 2019, the BILS recorded that 1,200 workers were killed during different workplace accidents, while the figures were 1,020 in 2018, 784 in 2017, 699 in 2016 and 363 in 2013 respectively, the report noted.
Addressing the meeting, BILS vice chairman Shirin Akhter MP said: "Though Bangladesh has made fantastic economic progress in the last one decade, it is unfortunate that the workers in the country are still deprived of their rights."
The government has provided incentive for the workers amid the pandemic, but many of the workers were yet to receive the benefit due to mishandling, she noted.
Amirul Haque Amin, also BILS vice chairman, demanded 30 per cent risk allowance for the RMG workers who were working amid the pandemic, saying that the earnings of the workers decreased by 25-30 per cent after the outbreak of coronavirus.
He also criticised the factory owners' proposal to suspend the 5.0 per cent legal provision of annual wage hike for two years.
Munni_fe@yahoo.com