Promote Human Rights of Workers, Decent Work and Sustainable Development
.
  About Us
  Our Work Area
  Workers Rights

  Workers Safety
  Workers Health
  Labour AND Environment
  Climate Change
  Globalization & Labour
  Migrat Workers
  Gender and youth
  Fight against Poverty
  Multinationals
  Development Partners
  Up Coming Events
  Useful Links
  Contact Us
 
 


Experience Sharing Workshop Organized
 
 

Home
 
On 28 February of 2008, OSHE/FNV project on ‘Asbestos Awareness & OSH in Ship Breaking Sector’ organised an experience sharing workshop at Sunderbon Hotel in Dhaka. Attending the programme a total of 22 (16 male and 6 female) diverse stakeholders including direct beneficiaries (10 participants related to ship yards) shared their experiences gathered during the project period of July 2006 to December 2007.


 
 

In the presence of national TU leaders such as Mr. Roy Romesh Chandra, General Sectary- Jatiyo Sramik League, Mr. Mamunur Rashid Chowdhury, General Secretary, Bangladesh Free Trade Union Congress, Mr. Delowar Hossain, General Secretary - Bangladesh Labour Federation, Mr. Deowan Mohammad Ali, Vice President-Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra and Mr. Safar Ali- the Coordinator of Trade Union Cooperative Committee in ship breaking industries, Mr. Shirajul Islam, Vice Chairman, OSHE Foundation presided the opening session.

Mr. A.R Chowdhury REPON, Executive Director, OSHE Foundation presented the background of the project, why OSHE Foundation considered to intervening the project. He explained with contrast the previous and present status of the ship breaking industries, workers, and the community closely related with the industries. In his presentation, he shared that previously the workers were not aware about asbestos, even sometimes they used asbestos to clean their hands and mouth but nowadays they know about the negative effect of asbestos.

In the programme, Dr. M. Shahidul Islam, Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Chittagong as an external evaluator shared his experiences with the participants. He shared that at present a total of about 20 thousand workers are engaged in 17-18 ship breaking yards. During the last two decades more than 400 workers have been killed and 6000 seriously been injured in those yards. Thus, the project on “Awareness Campaign Project on Asbestos in Ship Breaking Industry” is a timely effort to establish the right to health and safety work space through TU initiatives.

Considering the challenges such as: state in emergency rules, owners’ attitudes, highest priority to the profit, lack of direct communication between workers and owners, lack of freedom to take TU initiatives etc and the scopes, Mr. Islam strongly recommended to continue the project activities following the present shape for at least another 3-5 years. He also recommended to include the activities like- awareness on decent work and legal compliance issues, awareness development on HIV/AIDS, awareness development on environmental protection, awareness development of cyclone and storm surges, awareness development of labour laws and TU initiatives and awareness on corporate social accountability.