Categories
Issues in the Labour Market

The Informal Sector: Considering Productivity

Accounting for Low Productivity in the Informal Sector

At six o’clock in the morning Mariam, now 18 years old, wakes up and gets ready for the day. She works at a garments factory just outside Dhaka city. As she brushes her hair, she remembers her work as a maid. She was just a child. She cooked, cleaned and took care of the kids when their parents weren’t around. Maryam has bad memories of those times. She always felt the family were unhappy with her work. But she didn’t know why. Sometimes they were happy and would give her gifts of clothes and sometimes money.  When she they were unhappy…well, those really were painful memories.

That’s all behind her now. But work in the factory isn’t easy, either.

Categories
Work Stream

Help for the Aged

Social Protection for the Poor

Manusher Jonno Foundation tells Bangladeshi citizens about their rights to the social protection schemes provided by the Government of Bangladesh.

Quay Asia assigned two highly experienced consultants to evaluate this important project.

The Civil Society project is part of a wider Programme of technical assistance to the Government of Bangladesh.

UK Aid and Australian Aid support the Government of Bangladesh to improve the way it gives allowances for the poor.

But many poor people are not aware of their entitlements. And so Mansuher Jonno works with local organisations to help poor get the help they deserve.

Photo of Shameen used with her kind permission

Categories
What the papers say

Women Fish for Profit

A weekly round up of articles about employment, the labor market, skills training and workforce development. This week’s round up is drawn from The Daily Star. Here is the news for the week ending 30th June 2016.

This week in the Bangladesh English Press…

…economists look into the success of budget provisions for women and an expert says guaranteed income for all could work in Bangladesh. The Economist gives Bangladesh a poor report card on labour migration governance while exporters raise concerns about the UK leaving the EU. At the local level small farmers in Kushtia go back to school to learn new agro-technologies, and a group of entrepreneurial women create a fish farm from a disused canal.

Categories
What the papers say

Forced Labour Response

A weekly round up of articles about employment, the labour market, skills training and workforce development. This week’s round up is drawn from The Daily Star. Here is the news for the week ending 2nd June 2016.

This week in the Bangladesh English Press…

…Government invests in ICT training to target those looking for self employment. And a midwives training program is expanded to reduce child and maternal mortality. Global Slavery Index cites Bangladesh response to modern slavery. Child labor continues in tobacco production in poor rural areas. Research shows further opportunity for RMG sector to gain global competitive advantage.

Categories
What the papers say

Looking Forward

A weekly round up of articles about employment, the labour market, skills training and workforce development. This week’s round up is drawn from The Daily Star. Here is the news for the week ending 28th April 2016.

This week in the Bangladesh English Press…

…the country remembers the Rana Plaza collapse and looks forward to ways improvements can be made to worker’s safety and working conditions. Water transport workers continue to strike, keeping many stranded across the country. New studies and projects encourage growth in Bangladesh, citing the potential this country has over the next few decades.

Categories
What the papers say

Structuring Tomorrow

A weekly round up of articles about employment, the labour market, skills training and workforce development.This week’s round up is drawn from The Financial Express. Here is the news for the week ending 24th March 2016.

This week in the Bangladesh English Press…

….International Chamber Commerce debates sustainable development goals while United Nations conferences on urban policy. Trade agreements in flux with China and Malaysia. And pharmaceuticals and light engineerings receive policy support. The Government supports poor fisherman and protects vulnerable farmers.

Categories
What the papers say

Progress to Prosperity

A weekly round up of articles about employment, the labour market, skills training and workforce development.This week’s round up is drawn from The Daily Star. Here is the news for the week ending 12th November 2015.

This week in the Bangladesh English Press…

…we look at research and policy for economic growth and see the significance of wages and the middle classes. Women are being supported in work through the provision of childcare at work.  And through new proposals for paid maternity leave. We see the effect of labour costs on farming. Finally, the story of labour migration to Malaysia  continues.

Categories
What the papers say

Skills Short in Garments

A weekly round up of articles about employment, the labour market, skills training and workforce development.This week’s round up is drawn from The Daily Star. Here is the news for the week ending 5th November 2015.

This week in the Bangladesh English Press…

…we look at the latest news on Bangladesh’s migrant workers. There is a critical review of labour and skills in the garments sector. The government unveils the new National Social Security Strategy. And on a final note Mumbai screens a film about Bangladeshi women police officers keeping the peace in Haiti.