Bangladesh with its Ship Recycling Bill is all set to uplift the welfare of workforce involved in ship breaking industry.
Dhaka is taking steps to regulate its shipbreaking industry which is the world’s second largest ship breaking nation. Bangladesh has proposed fines and prison sentences for those companies who are found to be not complying with the correct procedures. Currently, this sector plays a significant economic role and supplies a substantial quantity of re rollable scrap steel for the iron and steel industries.
The Bangladesh Ship Recycling Bill, 2015 is planning to set up a Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board to monitor this sector. The bill has got approval from the Prime Minister and is going to be tabled in the parliament. Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Cabinet Secretary has confirmed that the purpose of this bill is to address the following issues:
- Occupational health hazards of the industry’s huge workforce
- Ensure safe working conditions and better waste management
- Protect the coastal environment
This industry employs tens of thousands of migrant people working in appalling conditions. These workers have limited use of personal protective equipment and are exposed to hazardous materials, and unsafe conditions.
