Know Your Rights Program
If workers don’t know about their rights then they are not able to demand better working conditions. One of the most critical components of BCWS’ work is educating garment workers about their rights under the Bangladesh Labour Law (2006), international legal frameworks and corporate codes of conduct. The topics we provide trainings on include:
- Occupational safety and health
- Working hours
- Wages and overtime payment
- Paid leave
- Maternity leave and benefits
- Gender-based violence in the workplace
- Freedom of association
- Workers role and responsibilities
- ILO conventions
- Brand codes of conduct
- Bangladesh ICT law
As an NGO, BCWS does not directly form factory-level unions, but it provides support to its sister union, Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF), to train workers on rights to organize and forming unions. Leaders of this union participate in trainings and educate workers about the benefits of unions and how to form a union in the workplace. This partnership has strengthened both BCWS and BGIWF individually and enhanced collaboration between the two organizations while also providing an avenue for workers to implement what they have learned.
Since its inception, BCWS has trained over 50,000 workers on their rights.