BAT Kushtia plant standoff enters 21st day, workers continue demo after shutdown warning

The ongoing standoff between the seasonal workers and management of British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh at the company's Kushtia leaf processing unit continued amid rigid stance from both parties.

In addition, the recent warning by the multinational cigarette brand to stop operations in the Kushtia unit has further outraged the workers as they continued work abstention for the 20th day today. 

However, despite the recent filing of a case against the top officials of BAT Bangladesh, there are no visible measures from the management to reach any amicable solution and resume the factory by convincing the workers to return to duty.

Meanwhile, the factory, which has remained shut for 20 days since 23 April, had also missed the scheduled start of its new season for tobacco processing in the face of worker unrest. 

Sources say this season's tobacco procurement is almost over, but it has not yet been possible to reach those to the factory.

On the other hand, the workers remain adamant to realise their 22 demands, including wages and profit shares.

Today, braving the ongoing mild heatwave, they observed work abstention and demonstrated in front of the factory at Chourhash area on the Kushtia-Jhenaidah Highway. 

One of the protesting workers, Firoz Mahmud told The Business Standard that the company is not paying heed to their just demands despite governmental orders to this end.

"The company will lose crores of taka due to the operational halt of the factory, but will not meet our demands. The situation prevailed because of some dishonest officials of the company."

The case filed by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), Kushtia, against BAT Bangladesh managing director, head of operations and two other officials on charges of labour law violations and not complying with governmental directives, is scheduled for a hearing on 14 May in Khulna.

Earlier, on 17 April, the labour and employment ministry issued directives to the GLT plant manager to address the demands of the seasonal workers within three working days.

The factory management, however, ignored the ministry directives and had completed all the procedures to start the new season with workers hired on a contractual basis, excluding the seasonal workers.

Earlier, on 28 April, the deputy commissioner of Kushtia sat with senior management of BAT Bangladesh and the protesting workers to resolve the standoff. However, any solution could not be reached.  

At the sit-in yesterday, workers said BAT Bangladesh must fulfill 22-point demands – including overdue profit shares for 13 years from 2012, provident fund, gratuity, and reinstatement of workers who were illegally laid off – in line with the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006.

BAT Bangladesh may lag behind economically due to the ongoing standoff in Kushtia, industry people say.