Bangladesh’s position at the upcoming UN climate summit COP31 must put workers’ rights, social protection, workplace safety, decent jobs, skills development and climate resilience at the heart of the country’s climate strategy, speakers at a Dhaka workshop have said.
They warned that climate change is already affecting workers through heat stress, lost working hours, unsafe workplaces and growing livelihood risks, and called for workers’ priorities to be incorporated into the government’s official COP31 position paper.
The demands were raised at a Workshop on Worker Position Paper for COP31, held at After Hours Residence in Dhaka’s Banani on Sunday. The event was organised by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and the National Alliance for Just Transition Bangladesh (NAJTB), with support from Oxfam and Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF), the joint secretariat of NAJTB.
Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), an NAJTB member, also participated. As part of MJF’s Fashion Forward project, the organisation joined the consultation to promote a fairer and more inclusive transition in the apparel industry.
The workshop was part of a wider consultation process. Further discussions are planned with youth groups and government stakeholders, after which the recommendations will be consolidated and aligned with Bangladesh’s COP31 position paper for submission.
Elisa Benistant Fremigacci, technical officer for Just Transitions at the International Labour Organization (ILO) Bangladesh, said COP31 was being presented as the “COP of implementation”, making it important for workers in Bangladesh to push for concrete policy commitments.
She called for dedicated financing, meaningful social dialogue, direct representation of workers and stronger accountability in implementing the just-transition provisions of Bangladesh’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Md Muhtasim Billah, senior programme officer at Oxfam Bangladesh, said a just transition should not be limited to shifting from fossil fuels to cleaner energy.
“It must also safeguard workers’ rights, strengthen social protection and ensure decent-work standards across sectors,” speakers said.
AKM Ashraf Uddin, executive director of BLF and member secretary of NAJTB, said the direct participation of workers’ and employers’ representatives in COP negotiations would be an important step towards ensuring labour concerns are reflected in climate policy.
He said NAJTB, which brings together nearly 60 civil society and trade union organisations representing around 20 sectors, was preparing a unified Workers’ Charter of Demands for COP31.
Presenting the keynote paper, Mir Mohammad Ali, assistant professor at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, said extreme heat and other climate hazards were already causing significant losses for workers and the wider economy.
He recommended that the Workers’ Charter be incorporated into the government’s COP31 position paper, including provisions for paid heat-rest breaks, social security, skills development and worker representation in Bangladesh’s official COP delegation.
Zubaer Alam, programme officer at BLF, said youth organisations, trade unions and government committees would be engaged by mid-October to help develop a worker-focused position paper grounded in evidence from affected communities and workplaces.
Pablo Narudha, project coordinator of MJF’s Fashion Forward programme, said the organisation had worked with workers for more than two decades to protect fundamental rights.
He said workers’ concerns should therefore be reflected directly in national climate policies and the country’s approach to a just transition.
Wasiur Rahman Tonmoy, lead for Youth and Social Cohesion at MJF, said workers’ voices needed to be translated into clear, evidence-based and actionable policy language.
MJF, he said, would continue to promote human rights through worker-led evidence gathering, 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.