HC asks Chevron to give due share of 10 years' profits to employees

The High Court today directed Chevron Bangladesh, the US oil and gas company, to give the due shares of the company's profits in the last 10 years to its 539 employees in three months.

Delivering the verdict on a writ petition, the HC ordered the authorities concerned with the government to take necessary measures in order to ensure that Chevron gives a five percent share of the company's profits from 2014 to 2024 to its Bangladeshi employees through creating funds.

Otherwise, the authorities must take appropriate legal action against the company under the Labour Act, according to the HC verdict.

The bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice AKM Rabiul Hassan came up with the judgement following a writ petition collectively filed by 539 Bangladeshi employees of Chevron in 2022 challenging the government's inaction in ensuring their due share of the company's profits as per the provisions of the law.

Barrister Omar Sadat, principal counsel for the writ petitioners, told The Daily Star that the amount of the due shares of Chevron Bangladesh's profits in the last 10 years for its employees will be fixed under the relevant provision of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006.

Earlier, Chevron gave Tk 582 crore to its Bangladeshi employees as five percent share of the company's profits from 2006 to 2013 in compliance with another directive from the HC, he said.

Chevron is supposed to share five percent of net profits with its workers and officials under Bangladesh Labour Act 2006.

Barrister Omar Sadat, Barrister Abir Abbas Chowdhury, and Barrister Ayesha Akhtar appeared for the writ petitioners while Barrister Mustafizur Rahman Khan, Advocate Mamun Chowdhury, and Barrister Suhan Khan represented the Chevron Bangladesh during hearing of the petition.

Barrister Suhan Khan told this correspondent that they will advise Chevron to take necessary steps after receiving the full text of the HC verdict.