Parliament has passed two bills, submitted by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), aiming to anchor workers' rights within the legal framework.
In March, Maradhoo MP Ibrahim Shareef, submitted a bill titled Industrial Relations on behalf of the government to create the legal framework to ensure the essential constitutional rights of employees.
This law incorporates constitutional assurances, including the right to strike, freedom of speech and expression, and the liberty to establish trade unions. The Bill establishes the mechanism for reaching collective bargaining agreements between workers and employers and provides regulations and procedures for resolving workplace disputes in parallel with legal practices in force in developed societies.
The Industrial Relations Bill received parliamentary approval on Monday, with 64 members voting in favor.
The Workplace Safety and Health Protection Bill was also successfully passed.
Complementing the Industrial Relations Bill, the Workplace Safety and Health Protection Bill seeks to provide for policies to ensure a safe and secure environment for workers in the workplace and to protect workers from potential health hazards and harms in the workplace.
This bill empowers workers to voice concerns related to health and safety decisions, establishes guidelines for reporting injuries resulting from workplace accidents, and implements a system to address complaints and provide compensation.
The bill was passed by the parliament with 67 members voting in favor.
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