Since 2008, workers at Bangladesh’s Ashuganj Power Station Company Limited (APSCL) have fought for their right to collective bargaining. Now, after a 16-year battle, their union has secured a historic victory, winning the right to be their workplace’s official bargaining agent. The Ashuganj Power Station Company Limited Sramik Karmachari Union (APSCLSKU) won a decisive election with more than two-thirds of the vote, receiving 263 out of 379 votes.
“Unions in Bangladesh have faced persistent, illegal and dangerous conditions for years. Despite this, APSCLSKU persisted in demanding trade union rights for energy workers and has now secured a historic victory,” said Kate Lappin, PSI’s Regional Secretary for Asia-Pacific. The union plans to challenge the increasing use of contract workers, which has led to decreased wages and weakened worker conditions.
