OSHE Calls on Government to Declare Covid-19 as Occupational Disease in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Occupational Health, Safety and Environment foundation (OSHE) in a press statement urges the government to declare the Covid-19 as an occupational disease under the labour law of the country. OSHE said, at present more than a million of workers and employees in health service, waste recycling, food and medicine supply chain, readymade garments, tea plantation, mass media, bank and financial services etc. in Bangladesh continuing to serve at workplaces due to urgent national and commercial needs with potential health hazard and inadequate health and safety protection; and many of them potentially get infected with coronavirus at work and on the way to work or get back home during this pandemic period require necessary legal protection.

  Repon Chowdhury, Executive Director of OSHE foundation said “this is very much a genuine and timely demand under the context of present reality in Bangladesh. COVID-19 needs to be declared as an occupational disease under the present national Labour law immediately through an official executive order by the government towards ensuring health and safety rights of the working population at workplaces passing time with the vulnerability and risk of Covid-19 infection”.

  Urgent efforts are needed to ensure that vulnerable group of workers and employees with Covid-19 should have appropriate access to proper housing, with space for quarantine and social distancing while sleeping and eating, potable water and proper sanitation facilities on and off the job, free health care, safe transport, safe work practices and income protection.

About OSHE foundation:

Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Heath and Environment Foundation (OSHE foundation) is a specialized labour support institution promote labour standards, decent work and green job at national and international level. It maintain constructive working relations with the government, employers’ organizations and other social actors on policy and workplace related issues at the  formal and informal economy.  It’s the platform for major national trade unions centres working together on different development issues based on common position. OSHE foundation supports the national efforts towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through different workplace actions.