Workers in Bangladesh on average work for 12 hours a day, says a survey conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS).

"This is blatant violation of the eight-hour working day recognised by the International Labour Organization," said BILS Assistant Executive Director Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed.

The May Day's main demand was eight hours of working day, but in most cases it is violated in Bangladesh, he told The Daily Star yesterday on the eve of the International Labour Day.

According to the survey, at least 46 percent transport workers work for more than 15 hours a day, while over 40 percent work for about 13-14 hours. Besides, 20 percent of them work without any regular rest.

The survey was conducted on working hours of five labour intensive sectors -- security guards, transport, hotel/restaurants, re-rolling and private hospital/clinic/diagnostic centres or pathological labs.

The areas of the survey were Dhaka and its surrounding areas. Workers of the five sectors, employers, government officials and trade union members were interviewed for data.

Transport workers are found to have no appointment letters and cent percent of them work for more than eight hours a day.

More than 90 percent of them do not have weekly holidays and 98 percent do not have public holidays. Eighty-four percent transport workers work on the May Day, says the survey.

According to the survey, 58 percent security guards have no appointment letters and more than 80 percent of them work for more than eight hours a day. Of them, 48 percent work for 11-12 hours and 24 percent work for more than 15 hours a day.

About 66 percent of security guards have no weekly holidays and 88 percent of them work on public holidays, says the survey.

In hotel or restaurants, 42 percent workers work for nine to 10 hours a day and 40 percent work for 11-12 hours, while 14 percent work for 13 to 14 hours a day.

In re-rolling industries, 34 percent workers work 13 to 14 hours, 26 percent 11-12 hours and 16 percent work for more than 15 hours.

In private hospitals and clinics, 42 percent workers work for more than eight hours.

Sultan Uddin Ahmmed said May Day, which has been observed for the last 130 years, is a day when all pledge to improve labour conditions.

"Let the day be not only held at some formal functions but also to realise the demand of eight-hour working days," he said.

Besides, fixing national minimum wage and decent work is also a must to improve income level and discrimination in labour wages, he added.

In another survey, BILS found that 888 workers were killed and 1,093 injured in workplace accidents and violence in 2016.

The transport sector witnessed the highest of 249 deaths followed by 85 deaths in construction, 52 in fishing, 46 in agriculture, 39 in foil and packaging, 38 in day labour, while 28 migrant workers died abroad.