Home ›› 05 Jun 2022 ›› Editorial
Dr Muhammad Yunus – a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize – has finally promised to pay dues of his workers and employees who remained deprived for nearly 12 years, under the condition that all cases filed against him must be withdrawn.
There is no doubt that the news has brought under limelight the country’s longest history of worker exploitation.
What is behind this almost sudden occurrence? When the employees submitted a plea before the court seeking liquidation of Dr Yunus’ company Grameen Telecom, the result was magical, and it did what 110 cases could not.
One hundred and seventy six workers – who were deprived of their rightful share from the Grameen Telecom’s profits – had repeatedly approached the company’s Chairman Dr Yunus for their dues for nearly 12 years, but to no avail.
So they took legal action. They filed 104 cases with the Dhaka Third Labour Court and six cases with the High Court in 2016 and 2017 respectively, seeking due payments of nearly Tk 437 crore in dues under the labour act.
But the Grameen Telecom Chairman Dr Yunus used his lawyers to halt payment of these people, who were deprived for nearly six years. Under the circumstances, the workers and employees filed a petition with the court seeking liquidation of Grameen Telecom.
Explaining the move, they said the company is led by a Nobel laureate, which has been making crores in profits for decades. But it is not paying its employees their fair share, so they filed a petition with the High Court on February 7 seeking liquidation of Grameen Telecom.
This particular petition grabbed the attention of Grameen Telecom as soon as it was filed. The company agreed to pay the employees’ dues under the condition that all cases against them will have to be withdrawn.
Complying with the condition, the employees withdrew 110 cases on May 23.
It looks like the exploitation of workers is habitual! Back in 2020, Grameen Telecommunications Chairman Dr Mohammed Yunus paid Tk 7,500 in fines for depriving workers from company profits.
Three of the company’s top associates also paid this fine, along with paying the dues of workers. Case proceedings are underway against them for depriving workers this year as well.
In September last year, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments filed a case against Grameen Telecom management, including its Chairman Dr Mohammed Yunus, over nonpayment of workers’ dividends and deposits to the Shramik Kalyan Foundation.
Legal proceedings for this case are currently ongoing.
The question is, the law can punish those who deprive workers, but can it change their habits or dispositions? Only the future holds the answer to this question.
The writer is the founder of Nongor, an organisation of nature and society
