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A Chattogram court has summoned three officials of Kabir Steel Re-Rolling Mills Ltd (KSRM), including its owner and Managing Director Md Shahjahan Kabir, for not paying the due arrears of a worker.
The other two are Kabir Steel’s shipbreaking yard Managing Director Md Fazlul Quader and its manager Md Mehrul Karim. They have been ordered to appear before the court on January 25. Chairman of Chattogram Labour Court-1 passed the order recently in response to a contempt of court case. The court passed the order as KSRM authorities did not pay the due arrears of a worker despite a court order.
According to court sources, labourer Md Jasim Uddin used to work at the ship breaking yard of Kabir Steel Ltd at Bibirhat area under Bhatiari union of Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram. He was fired on August 11, 2012, but his due arrears were not paid.
Jasim then filed a case with Chattogram Labour Court-1, and in response the court ordered the company to pay the dues. Against that case, KSRM authorities filed a case. But, on July 16, 2017, the court dismissed the case of the KSRM owner.
The court sources said although a notice was served to pay the dues, the KSRM authorities did not take it into account. As a result, labourer Jasim Uddin filed a criminal case for violation of Sections 292, 293 and 307 of the Labour Act-2006.
Later, a contempt of court case was filed on December 6 last year after the owners did not obey the court order. Taking the case into cognizance, the court issued summons against Md Shahjahan, Fazlul Quader and Mehrul Karim.
There have been several incidents of not paying the arrears of workers of the shipyard of KSRM Group. Worker Mohammad Moniruzzaman Munna suffered crippling injuries after falling victim of a workplace accident while working at the shipyard in 2016. He did not get the arrears and compensation even after six years.
Later, on September 21 last year, he filed a case with Chattogram Labour Court-1 accusing the managing director and manager of Kabir Group’s ship recycling facility at Bibirhat area under Bhatiari union of Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram.
In the case filed under Section 150, 151 and 157 of the Labour Act, Tk 3,46,000 and 25 per cent compensation has been demanded.
Prior to that, in 2017, Chattogram Labour Court-1 summoned three people including KSRM Managing Director Md Shahjahan Kabir for neglecting to pay the dues of the workers. They were ordered to appear before the court in person on December 12 of that year.
At that time, the court also summoned General Manager of Kabir Steel Syed Nazrul Alam and shipyard manager Md Mofiz. Alo Rani Das, the mother of worker Sachindra Das, who was killed in the shipyard while working, filed the case on November 9, 2017 as the plaintiff.
