Govt provided $18.66M aid for labour welfare: State minister
The Bangladesh Workers Welfare Foundation, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, has so far provided $18.66 million to around 21,500 workers and their families, said State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian on Sunday.
The aid was extended to workers of export industries alongside institutional and informal sectors, reads a press release.
The state minister was speaking at the 343rd meeting of the International Labor Organization (ILO) governing body on a virtual platform.
"The government is working to introduce unemployment, accident, illness and maternity insurance under the National Social Security Action Plan 2016-2021," she said.
Monnujan assured the ILO body about taking specific steps for social security and workers' minimum wage under the roadmap for further development of labour standards in Bangladesh.
She praised the ILO's proposed action plan on social security and emphasised on issues like strengthening partnerships to support social protection programmes, particularly in countries having resource constraints.
She also called for developing low-cost social protection packages for the workers in the informal sector and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The ILO event is slated to end on 13 November.
