Md. Mohinuddin
Research | MEAL | HREDD
Supervisors: AKM Ashraf Uddin
Phone: +8801631124856
Address: Level-7, F Haque Tower, 107 Sonargaon Road, Dhaka 1205
Supervisors: AKM Ashraf Uddin
Phone: +8801631124856
Address: Level-7, F Haque Tower, 107 Sonargaon Road, Dhaka 1205
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Findings reveal significant advantages for unionised workers, who consistently receive better terms—including formal contracts, higher wages, regulated working hours, weekly holidays, and access to leave—while non-unionised workers typically receive only the bare minimum. Only one-third of tannery workers hold permanent positions; the majority are temporary, contractual, or day labourers. Alarmingly, around 90% of workers fall outside the official wage grading structure and earn below BDT 18,001 per month—well under the stipulated minimum for skilled tannery roles.
Access to basic workplace entitlements remains uneven: just 43.64% of workers possess factory ID cards (with only 21.21% linked to permanent status), and over 53% perform multi-grade tasks without proper classification or additional pay—particularly prevalent among non-unionised workers (30.91%). While 63.03% of all workers report having a weekly holiday, this benefit is universal (100%) among unionised workers but entirely absent for many non-unionised workers, who often work seven days a week. Similarly, 74.54% have access to casual or sick leave, and 67.48% receive paid leave—disparities closely tied to union representation.
The study underscores how unionisation serves as a critical lever for decent work in Bangladesh’s tannery sector. It calls for stronger enforcement of wage regulations, formalisation of employment relationships, and inclusive labour inspection mechanisms to ensure that minimum wage and worker protection standards are upheld across all tanneries—unionised or not. Without targeted policy action, the majority of tannery workers will remain excluded from the rights and protections mandated by law.
This study employs a mixed-methods approach including surveys of 295 workers across 28 production buildings, focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), and in-depth interviews (IDIs) to examine working conditions in the LTCI. Findings paint a stark picture: workers are predominantly young (average age 27.4), male (65.1%), and internal migrants from 43 districts, with very low levels of education. The sector operates without formal contracts, overtime compensation, or maternity benefits. Most workers (75.6%) are paid on a piece-rate basis, earning an average of BDT 22,223 per month while 89.9% earn below BDT 30,000, and over half receive less than BDT 20 per piece.
Working hours are excessive, averaging 13.35 hours per day; 68.5% work 12+ hours, and nearly 30% exceed 15 hours daily. Health and safety conditions are dire: 96.6% of workplaces lack ventilation, 83.7% are unhygienic, 93.9% have no fire alarms, 89.2% lack fire extinguishers, and 98.3% provide no personal protective equipment (PPE). Alarmingly, 95.8% of workers report workplace accidents, yet no accident registers are maintained. Common health issues include respiratory illnesses, dehydration, and chronic stress.
Gender inequality is pervasive: 82% of respondents note lower wages for women. Awareness of gender-based violence (GBV) is critically low—81.69% are unaware of the concept—and only 4.4% report experiencing GBV. Knowledge of Anti-Harassment Committees is virtually absent (just 2%), and no complaint mechanisms exist. Unionisation remains extremely weak, with only 5.8% of workers affiliated to unions, and no evidence of collective bargaining.
These findings underscore the urgent need to formally recognise, regulate, and integrate the LTCI into national labour protection frameworks. Without policy intervention, this vital yet invisible workforce will remain trapped in cycles of exploitation, insecurity, and exclusion.