2016 ITUC Global Rights Index - Bangladesh

Mobile phone company union denied recognition: Employees at Grameenphone, owned by Norwegian company Telenor, have spent over two years struggling for the recognition of their union. The Grameenphone Employees Union was formed in June 2012 after over 200 employees lost their jobs. The government has repeatedly turned down their application for registration over technicalities. After prolonged court proceedings, the Labour Appellate court ordered the Director of Labour to register the union. The government refused to issue formal recognition of the union and the company filed a writ with the High Court, to stay the decision of the appellate court, which was granted. The government then issued new rules broadening the definition of "supervisory officer" to render workers with any supervisory function ineligible to join union. Furthermore, the new rules would declare mobile phones an essential public service, which would enable the government to intervene to limit or ban strikes and demonstrations.

Union leaders attacked and dismissed for raising safety concerns: On 2 April 2015 management at the D&D garment factory ordered anti-union workers to physically attack several union leaders, including the president. The attack was in retaliation for a complaint submitted by the union on 16 March to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh alleging that the company had failed to maintain building safety practices. An Accord inspection on 19 March confirmed that the factory was not in compliance.

The factory union, affiliated with the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers' Federation (BGIWF), received its registration in December 2014 and on 14 January 2015 submitted a charter of demands for collective bargaining. Over the next three months, management continually relocated union leaders, threatened rank-and-file workers with retaliatory increases in production targets if they talked to any of the union leaders, formed a bogus management-controlled union at the factory, and forced many workers to sign a petition denouncing the union's demands. Union leaders also received anonymous phone calls threatening violence.

After the 2 April attacks management demanded that nine union leaders resign from D&D. When they refused, management called the police, who threatened to arrest those who did not agree to resign. Most did, except the union president, who was forcibly removed from the factory and threatened with violence. Complaints and demands for reinstatement to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMA) were to no avail. It took months of pressure from buyers, urged by the accord, to convince D&D management to reinstate the union leaders, which they finally did on 15 December 2015.

Chevron sacks union organisers: In May 2015 US-based oil and gas giant Chevron responded to its workers' decision to create a union by sacking the organisers.

Chevron Bangladesh employed 463 workers but only 37 of them had permanent contracts, with the rest remaining on rolling temporary contracts, in some cases for 20 years. This is against the Bangladeshi labour law that limits temporary employment to three months. The management ignored repeated verbal and written requests from the workers over many years, calling for changes to their unacceptable conditions of employment. After years of intimidation, the workers decided to form a workplace union, following the legal process. The new Chevron workers' union filed for official registration with the labour authorities on 14 April 2015. Out of the workforce of 463, 218 workers joined. On 20 May 75 employees filed cases at the Labour Court claiming their right permanent employment status.

Management reacted to the workers' union registration aggressively. On 26 May management mobilised police and security forces to blockade the union office. Workers defied the police and demonstrated in front of the office. The following day, 27 May 2015, Chevron dismissed 17 workers, posting a list of their names outside its office. The list included all the newly elected leaders of the new union, notably president Saiful Islam, Kamaluddin, General Secretary, and Hasanur Rahman Manik, Organising  Secretary.

In response to demands by the Bangladesh Chemical, Energy and Allied Workers' Federation (BCEAWF) to reinstate the workers, make their jobs permanent and allow them to form a trade union, Chevron argued that they were not responsible for the workers' mistreatment, saying a third party labour broker was their employer.

40 workers hurt in clash with police: At least 40 workers from an Otobi furniture factory were injured during a clash with police on the outskirts of the capital on 5 May 2015. The workers were demonstrating in front of their factory to demand the payment of two months' salary arrears. Repeated calls for payment had been in vain. As the workers grew more agitated, reportedly throwing projectiles, the police responded with force, firing rubber bullets and releasing tear gas canister. At least 40 of the workers required treatment at local hospitals.