Workers and trade unions are developing a unified charter to ensure labour protections, social security and climate resilience feature prominently in Bangladesh’s COP31 preparations.
Bangladesh’s position for the upcoming COP31 climate conference should incorporate workers’ rights, social protection, workplace safety, decent employment, skills development and climate resilience, speakers said at a consultation in Dhaka on Sunday.
They said workers are already experiencing the impacts of climate change through heat stress, reduced working hours, unsafe working conditions and growing risks to their livelihoods. Workers’ priorities should therefore be reflected in the government’s country position paper for COP31 as a key component of Bangladesh’s just transition agenda.
The views were expressed at a workshop titled “Worker Position Paper for COP31” held at After Hours Residence in Banani.
The event was organised by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and the National Alliance for Just Transition Bangladesh (NAJTB), with support from Oxfam and the Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF), the joint Secretariat of NAJTB. Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), a member of NAJTB, also participated.
MJF joined the consultation through its Fashion Forward project, which seeks to advance a fair, inclusive and worker responsive transition in Bangladesh’s apparel sector.
From climate commitments to implementation
Elisa Benistant Fremigacci, Technical Officer, Just Transitions at ILO Bangladesh, said COP31 is being framed as the “COP of implementation” and stressed that workers in Bangladesh need to push for concrete policy commitments and their effective implementation.
She called for dedicated financing, meaningful social dialogue, direct worker representation and stronger accountability in implementing the just transition provisions contained in Bangladesh’s Nationally Determined Contributions.
Md Muhtasim Billah, Senior Program Officer at Oxfam Bangladesh, said a just transition should not be limited to shifting energy systems.
He said it must also protect workers’ rights, strengthen social protection and ensure decent work standards across different sectors of the economy.
The discussions highlighted the need to connect Bangladesh’s climate commitments with the realities facing workers, particularly those whose health, incomes and livelihoods are increasingly exposed to extreme heat and other climate related hazards.
Workers’ Charter for COP31
AKM Ashraf Uddin, Executive Director of BLF and Member Secretary of NAJTB, stressed the importance of direct participation of worker and employer representatives in COP negotiations.
He said such participation would be an important step towards ensuring that those directly affected by climate policies and economic transformation have a voice in international climate negotiations.
NAJTB, which brings together nearly 60 civil society and trade union organisations representing around 20 sectors, is preparing a unified Workers’ Charter of Demands for COP31.
The charter is expected to bring together priorities identified by workers and trade unions and provide a common platform for engagement with the government ahead of the climate conference.
Heat stress emerges as major concern
Presenting the keynote paper, Mir Mohammad Ali, Assistant Professor at Sher e Bangla Agricultural University, said extreme heatwaves and other climate hazards are already causing significant losses for workers and the wider economy.
He recommended incorporating the Workers’ Charter into the government’s COP31 position paper.
Among the proposals were paid heat rest breaks for workers exposed to extreme temperatures, stronger social security, opportunities for skills development and direct worker representation in Bangladesh’s official COP delegation.
Participants also discussed how climate related hazards are creating additional risks for workers in labour intensive and climate sensitive sectors.
For Bangladesh, where millions of people depend on sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture and fisheries for their livelihoods, participants said the transition towards a climate resilient economy must take into account both employment security and workers’ fundamental rights.
Worker evidence to inform climate policy
Zubaer Alam, Program Officer at BLF, said consultations with youth groups, trade unions and government committees would be conducted by mid October to develop a Workers’ Position Paper based on workers’ experiences and priorities.
Pablo Narudha, Project Coordinator of Fashion Forward at MJF, said MJF has been working with workers for more than two decades to protect their fundamental rights.
He stressed that workers’ priorities must also be reflected in national climate policies as Bangladesh moves towards implementing its climate commitments.
Wasiur Rahman Tonmoy, Lead, Youth and Social Cohesion at MJF, said workers’ voices should be translated into clear, evidence based and actionable recommendations.
He said MJF would continue promoting human rights through worker led evidence generation, youth engagement and policy advocacy.
Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, Executive Coordinator of NAJTB and Executive Director of BILS, also stressed the need to incorporate workers’ demands into Bangladesh’s COP31 position paper.
Consultations to continue
The workshop formed part of a broader consultation process aimed at developing a common workers’ position ahead of COP31.
Further consultations are expected to be held with youth, trade unions and government stakeholders. The recommendations will then be consolidated into the Workers’ Position Paper and aligned with the government’s COP31 position paper for final submission.
Representatives of trade unions, civil society organisations, development partners and other stakeholders attended the workshop.
The consultation placed workers’ rights, social protection, decent employment, workplace safety, skills development and climate resilience among the issues being put forward for consideration as Bangladesh develops its national position for COP31.
