After much delay, Bangladesh government has introduced the Bangladesh Labour Rules 2015 on September 15, 2015 through a gazette. Government was under pressure from various sources to promulgate the Labour Rules for a long time.

Here are some key points of the Labour Rules 2015:

• Employment Policy/Service Rules: If any establishment wants to have its own Employment Policy/Service Rules, it must obtain approval from the Chief Inspector of Labour. All existing Employment Policy/Service Rules must be submitted to the Chief Inspector of Labour within November 15, 2015 for approval.
• Registration of Manpower supply agency: The Rules prescribed the process and forms for the registration of manpower supply agencies under the Labour Act. Some new conditions are also imposed on the manpower supply agencies.
• Establishment Organogram: Every owner of an establishment must prepare an organogram for the establishment and must obtain the approval of Chief Inspector of Labour for such organogram.
• Appointment Letter: Under the Labour Act, an appointment letter must be issued for hiring any labour. The Labour Rules makes it mandatory that the appointment letter must contain certain information such as salary, other financial benefits, applicable rules etc.
• Various Register: The Labour Rules prescribe certain forms for various register such as service book, labour register, leave register, etc.
• Misconduct and punishment: The Rules prescribe the process for investigation of misconduct.
• Two festival bonuses: The Rules makes it mandatory that a labour, who continuously works for a year, must receive two festival bonuses in every year. Each bonus shall not be more than a basic salary.  
• Provident fund elaborated: the Rules provide detailed guidelines regarding provident fund. New additions includes provisions related to selection of nominee, management of the fund, activities of the trust for managing provident fund.
• Holiday: The Rules detailed the provisions related to holidays. It also clarifies the provisions related to compensatory weekly holiday.
• Health and fire safely: The Rules provide a detail guideline on health and fire safety.
• Wages: the Rules details the provisions related to wages. Clarification is provided for the mechanism of calculating wages for fraction of month and deduction from wages.
• Prescribe from for filling case in Labour Court: The Rules introduces some prescribe form for filling cases in the Labout Court.
• Approval of factory plan and any extension: The Rules put an end to the Factories Rules and provide detail guideline how approval of factory plan and any extension thereof should be obtained.

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