Include workers’ rights in COP31 agenda: speakers

Workers’ rights, social protection, workplace safety, decent work, skills development and climate resilience should be reflected in Bangladesh’s position for the upcoming UN climate conference COP31, speakers said yesterday.

They made the remarks at a workshop on preparing a workers’ position paper for COP31, organised by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and the National Alliance for Just Transition Bangladesh (NAJTB) at After Hours Residence in Banani.

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Speakers said climate change is already affecting workers through heat stress, lost working hours, unsafe workplaces and livelihood risks.

They called for workers’ priorities to be included in the government’s country position paper as part of Bangladesh’s just transition agenda.

Elisa Benistant Fremigacci, technical officer for Just Transitions at ILO Bangladesh, stressed the need for dedicated financing, meaningful dialogue, direct representation and accountability in implementing the just transition chapter of the Nationally Determined Contributions.

Md Muhtasim Billah, senior programme officer at Oxfam Bangladesh, said just transition should not focus only on shifting energy systems, but also safeguard workers’ rights, ensure social protection and uphold decent work standards across sectors.

AKM Ashraf Uddin, executive director of Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF) and member secretary of NAJTB, said direct participation of worker and employer representatives in COP negotiations was a major step forward.

He said NAJTB, which brings together nearly 60 civil society and trade union organisations across around 20 sectors, is preparing a unified Workers’ Charter of Demands for COP31.

Presenting the keynote, Mir Mohammad Ali, assistant professor at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, said extreme heatwaves and other climate hazards were causing serious losses to workers and the economy.

Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, executive coordinator of NAJTB and executive director of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies. 

The event was supported by Oxfam and BLF.