At the cost of the lives of more than eight hundred students, workers, masses, the dictatorial regime has come to an apparent end. The promise of the movement against the fascist government was to establish a society free from discrimination. However, transport workers, the largest part of the workforce, are victims of extreme discrimination in the existing society. Although road transport workers are governed by the dual law "Labour Act and Road Transport Act 2018", there is no implementation of their labor rights. Provisions of labor laws providing dignified pay structure, fixed daily working hours, job security or severance pay are not implemented for the workers. Along with this, corruption and harassment in license management has made the life of motorists almost like slavery. By discriminatingly mandating dope tests only for professional licenses, the overall humiliation and harassment of motorists has increased. Motivated by the promise of the student society to build a discrimination-free society, millions of working people have joined the student march, hundreds of working people have sacrificed their lives.
Traffic in the name of "Labor Act" and lawsuits to ensure legal protection for all types of workers, including drivers, before the government that came to power through the sacrifice of hundreds of student and workers. There is an urgent need to reform the "Road Transport Act-2018" to stop harassment of traffic Sgt.
In this situation, it is very important to implement the following 7-point recommendations to ensure the work, income and health security of all road transport workers and to stop harassment.
7 point recommendations
1) The Labor Act and the Road Transport Act-2018 should be amended so as not to conflict with each other and harmonize the two Acts.
In that case-
a) To ensure inclusive representation of the labor side in the formulation of labor related policies.
b) Ensure legal protection of all road transport workers.
c) The Road Transport Act 2018 should be amended to bring accountability to all parties involved in road construction, management, operation and users.
d) A scientific and democratic road transport policy should be formulated to establish order and safety on the roads.
e) The law should stop the harassment of traffic sergeant, highway police.
2) Labor rights including appointment letter, working hours, job security, fair wages, overtime wages, severance pay, holiday allowance, holidays, trade union rights should be ensured for all in the light of ILO Convention.
3) BRTA should stop corruption-harassment and standardize licensing process.
In that case-
a) Category wise licensing of drivers through on road testing and necessary reforms to increase the capacity of BRTA.
b) Professional driver's license should be valid for 10 years in case of harassment.
c)) Spot dope test system should be introduced and pathologized if necessary to ensure purity and stop dope test harassment in professional license.
d) Health care centers should be opened at each terminal or medical camps should be conducted at least once every month to check the health of the workers.
4) In order to reduce road accidents, the concerned institutions should come out of the culture of the existing trend of imposing responsibility only on the driver among the officials of the police, media and investigation committee.
Moreover-
a) Driver centric concepts should be stopped while disseminating accident reports. Sometimes it leads to more deaths.
b) Road safety should be ensured by reconstituting investigation committee with independent and professionals to investigate road accidents.
c) The police administration should be trained and empowered for preliminary investigations.
d) Slow speed vehicles should be removed from national ways and highways.
e) Weigh scales should be installed at various places on roads and highways to stop the transportation of overloaded goods.
f) Service road should be opened for three wheeler vehicles.
5) Safety of workers should be ensured after workplace accidents.
Moreover-
a) Health card should be given to workers for free medical treatment of workers after accident.
b) Post-accident rehabilitation and compensation process should be simplified.
6) In order to bring safety and order on the roads, a database of road workers should be created and the updated information of the workers should be stored.
Moreover-
a) Social security of all workers including drivers, conductors/supervisors, helpers, counter masters should be ensured by revising the management process of the Labor Welfare Fund.
b) Alternate driver should be kept for long distance journey. Can't drive for more than 5 hours continuously.
c) Construction of safe and quality rest rooms along highways for goods transport drivers/labourers.
d) Bus terminals should be made multi-purpose by providing multi-stored parking with restrooms for passenger transport drivers/workers.
e) Road safety audit before and after construction of highways and expressways and emphasis on road safety management.
f) 3%-5% of the highway and expressway construction budget should be earmarked for the medical expenses of workers, passengers, pedestrians injured in accidents on the respective roads and for campaigning and training related to safe roads.
g) Government initiatives should be taken to prepare drivers with international standards.
h) Discussion meetings, seminars involving students-intellectuals-workers-people on road accidents should be organized regularly in various universities, localities and terminals.
7) In the movement of anti-discrimination students-workers-people, compensation should be paid to every family of martyred workers, treatment-rehabilitation-compensation of the injured should be ensured. The sacrifice of the workers in the mass revolution of the fascist uprising must be recognized.
We believe that the root cause of road accidents and a sustainable solution is not possible unless the culture of blaming drivers alone is removed. As a responsible organization at Work & Health Safety Assistance Center, we believe that a safe road is essential for everyone during the continuous development of communication systems.
Md. Salim
Chief Coordinator
Work & Health Safety Assistance Center