The Minister of Economic Development, Fayyaz Ismail expressed concerns over the delay of two workers’ rights bills in the parliament.
Fayyaz, who also serves as the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) chairperson, said that the industrial relations and occupational safety bills in safeguarding workers’ rights are crucial to the Maldivian economy.
The minister further stressed on the importance of giving equal treatment to the bills as other motions submitted to the parliament. He highlighted the importance of including them on the agenda for discussion and approval.
While speaking about the bills, the minister said that no progress has been made either at the committee level or during parliament sessions. He also said that more time is typically allocated for motions or resolutions compared to bills.
“The two bills are very important for us, and it covers two major areas of workers’ rights that we are attempting to safeguard. It will transform the country’s economy significantly and we have spent several hours drafting them, to ensure they were presented properly,” the minister said.
The occupational safety bill is currently at the committee level, but its progress is hindered due to recent changes in political parties. On the other hand, the industrial relations bill had its first reading in the parliament but has since encountered subsequent delays.
“What we are seeing now is that the parliament’s time is being occupied by resolutions submitted for political reasons. Resolutions are important too, and the opposition will continue to submit them, receiving allocations in the agenda. My concern is that bills, do not… progress,” Fayyaz added.