Laid-off GP employees protest retrenchment

Around 100 former Grameenphone staff who were recently laid off organised a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity and formed a human chain in front of National Press Club yesterday demanding reinstatement. 

The mobile phone operator offered a voluntary retirement scheme between June 3 and 17 which was taken up by 100 employees.

Another 159 who had not availed the offer were laid off simultaneously on June 20, with Grameenphone sending them a notice on the evening of June 20 reasoning it was a part of retrenching efforts.

The retrenched workers claimed the mobile phone operator had kept them idle for over a year while getting their work done through outsourcing.

Grameenphone responded by saying the scope of work changes over time and that they had recently laid off a number of workers who had no function according to their job description for more than 13 months.

Leaders of the Grameenphone Employees Union (GPEU) announced continuing agitations until the 159 were reinstated.

GPEU Vice-President Tanvir Timir presided over the press conference while General Secretary Mia Md Shafiqur Rahman Masud gave the keynote address.