Experts called for recognising fishermen as formal workers and ensuring their right to form trade unions.

The demands were raised at a national dialogue organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) on Tuesday, with support from Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), aimed at strengthening the legal rights and social security of fisheries workers.

Speakers stressed the need to bring all fisheries workers under labour law, introduce social security schemes for their families, integrate modern technology to improve occupational safety and health, and strengthen legal and administrative measures to protect workers’ livelihoods.

They noted that most fisheries workers remain outside labour law and labour inspection, with key regulations on recruitment, health and safety, medical support, and compensation routinely ignored.

Wages and personal protective equipment (PPE) remain unstandardised, while health risks are high and access to medical care and compensation is minimal.

Naimul Ahsan Jewel, convener of the National Fisheries Workers’ Rights Forum, said an estimated 12 million people are involved in the country’s fisheries supply chain and 1.4 million depend directly on the sector for their livelihood, yet legal protection and life-saving measures remain extremely weak.

He said the labour law covers only trawler crews and workers in fish-processing industries, leaving the majority of fisheries workers unprotected.

Beyond the shrimp and trawler industries, he added, no formal wage structure exists.

BILS Executive Director Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed said fishermen must be clearly defined and formally recognised.

Sultan, who also chairs the Labour Reform Commission, said the commission recommended a universal minimum wage for all workers, but implementation has stalled.

He emphasised the need to bring all fishing workers under a registration system to ensure their rights.

Tannery workers threaten agitation

At a separate programme in Dhaka on Tuesday, leaders of the Tannery Workers Union (TWU) warned that workers may launch a strong movement at any time over the prolonged delay in implementing the revised minimum wage announced by the government.

They said tannery workers remain frustrated a year after the gazette notification of the revised wage, alleging that employers have yet to take concrete steps toward implementation.

TWU leaders also expressed concern over layoffs, the expansion of illegal contractor systems, and the move to bring the leather sector under BEPZA, saying these have pushed the industry into severe uncertainty.

TWU President Abul Kalam Azad and General Secretary Abdul Malek said that despite nearly two years of discussions, tripartite meetings, and a final decision from the ministry, factory owners have taken no effective action to enforce the revised minimum wage.