The government has considered postal and telecommunication, information technology, e-commerce, electronic and digital services as essential service sectors. Hence, henceforth strike, lock down or lay off in this sector has been made illegal. Calling a strike or even supporting it in this sector carries a maximum prison sentence of one year.
To this end, the final approval of the Essential Services Act 2022 was given in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday. As a result, strike or hartal cannot be called at will in any case where public life is disrupted.
Earlier on October 4, 2021, the cabinet had given its in-principle approval to the draft law. The draft will go to Parliament after final approval. It will then be issued by the government in the form of a gazette. This is what Cabinet Secretary Khandkar Anwarul Islam told reporters at the Secretariat after the Cabinet meeting.
He said that the law includes post and telecommunication, information technology, e-commerce, electronic and digital services, digital financial services such as mobile financial services; Power generation, supply, marketing and added gas and coal as essential services. If there is any deadlock in these matters, the Government can interfere and it must be conducted as the state welfare dictates.’
The Cabinet Secretary said that there are 14 sections in the new law and its section 4. Where it is said that the government will declare the essential services in which subjects. And Article 5 states that strikes, lock-downs or lay-offs are prohibited. Many times there are lay-offs in industrial establishments. The government can ban them if it feels they are not justified. According to the law, if someone commits such a crime, he will generally be imprisoned for 6 months and fined 25,000 taka. If anybody gives support to continue the illegal strike will be punished with imprisonment of 1 year and a fine of up to 50 thousand taka.
According to the draft of the Act, services in connection with the establishment or organization engaged in the production of goods or goods necessary for the defense of the country; Services in connection with any government-owned or government-controlled establishment or organization engaged in the purchase, sale, collection, storage, disposal or distribution of foodstuffs; any services related to hospitals, clinics, health care or similar institutions and dispensaries; Services related to the establishment, organization or factory engaged in these activities including drug production, supply, marketing, purchase and sale; State-owned banks and financial institutions services; Oil fields, oil refineries, oil storage and production, transportation of petroleum or petroleum-like substances,
Apart from this, if it causes or is likely to cause unbearable suffering to the people and to ensure the security of the entire country or any part of the country in order to ensure the security of the country, the government can also declare any job or service related to any class of service as essential service for six months. If necessary, its period can be extended for another six months.