Grameen Telecom is conspiring to destroy the unions illegally and cheat the workers by hiring lobbyists. The leaders of the worker organization said that the fair rights of the workers are being violated by paying lobbyist firms with around Taka14 crore to avoid 107 cases of Tk 300 crore due to the workers’ welfare.
They say Grameen Kalyan and Dhaka Logistics Firm have signed an agreement to win the case in violation of court directions through a combination of top government ministers and bureaucrats. And, surprisingly, it has been approved by the Nobel laureate Dr. Mohammed Yunus who dreams of ‘sending poverty to the museum’.
Firoz Mahmud Hasan, General Secretary, Grameen Telecom Workers Employees Union (CBA) made the allegation at a press conference held at the Abdus Salam Hall of the National Press Club on August 21.
He said in a press conference that a conspiracy was being hatched to hire lobbyists and destroy trade unions. He said that GrameenPhone has already paid Taka 3 million to the legal entity to stop the activities of the union. Meanwhile, the High Court has stayed their application. Now, they are hiring lobbyists.
He also said that Grameen Telecom receives dividends of over a thousand crore taka every year from Grameen Phone. In 2019 alone, their dividend came to Tk 1,300 crore. But Grameen Telecom never paid five per cent of these dividends to the workers. Since 2006, this debt has risen to around Tk 300 crore. As a result, the aggrieved workers have filed a case seeking arrears. A total of 107 cases have been filed in the labor court of the capital Dhaka against Dr. Mohammad Yunus and Grameen Telecom. After failing to win the legal battle, the board of directors approved the agreement with Dhaka Logistics Services and Solutions after winning these cases in a virtual meeting on June 14.
Kamruzzaman Apollo, President, Grameen Telecom Workers-Employees Union chaired a press conference where Amjad Ali Khan, President, Uni Global Union Bangladesh Liaison Council, Amirul Haque Ami, General Secretary of the National Workers Federation’ Kamrul Hasan Ekta, General Secretary, Sramik Federation, and Golam Mohammad Sohag, President, Banglalink Employers’ Association.
The statement demanded the appointment of an administrator in Grameen Telecom to stop this ‘conspiracy’. At the same time, he drew the government’s attention to the ‘conspiracy’ to weaken the workers’ organization.
