Case filed against 4 BAT officials over labour law violations

The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) has filed a criminal case against four senior officials of the British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh for violating the country's labour law.

The accused include BAT Managing Director Monisha Abraham, Head of Operations Jorge Luis Macedo, Secretary and Senior Legal Counsel Syed Afzal Hossain, and Mukit Ahmed Chowdhury, GLT plant manager of BAT's leaf factory located beside the Kushtia-Jhenaidah highway in Kushtia town.

The case was filed by DIFE in Kushtia, with Labour Inspector Farjun Islam as the complainant, confirmed Farhad Ohab, deputy chief inspector of the Kushtia DIFE office, to The Business Standard today (30 April).

According to sources, BAT has been operating in violation of Section 45 of the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 for an extended period without regard for legal obligations.

Workers have repeatedly demanded implementation of the law and submitted a 22-point list of demands over the years. However, they alleged that the company responded with false promises and failed to take action.

Meanwhile, in a response to the case, BAT stated they have not received any official communication or legal notice yet. 

"A group of seasonal workers at our Green Leaf Threshing Plant (GLTP) in Kushtia has raised numerous demands. We have been proactively working to address most of these demands where appropriate, in order to achieve an effective end to the current disruption. However, according to our interpretation of the regulations, the remaining demands fall outside the provisions of Bangladesh's labour laws and, therefore, it is not possible to address them," said BAT in a statement. 

"As part of our continued commitment to a peaceful resolution, we have engaged in open and constructive dialogue with the representatives, participated in multiple rounds of discussions facilitated by relevant government authorities, and offered improved benefits within the legal framework," it added.

The organization said, as a responsible corporate entity, BAT Bangladesh remains fully committed to upholding the laws of the land, including all labor regulations. 

"Once we receive an official notification about the reported case, we will review the matter thoroughly and take appropriate steps in line with legal requirements," adds the statement. 

On 17 April, the Ministry of Labour and Employment issued a directive instructing BAT's GLT Plant Manager Mukit to take legal action to meet the workers' demands within three working days (by 22 April).

The company allegedly ignored this directive.

In response, workers began a sit-in protest at the main gate of BAT's Kushtia leaf factory on 23 April, demanding the fulfilment of their 22-point charter, which includes payment of due profit shares since 2012, reinstatement of laid-off workers, issuing of appointment letters, and provision of legal benefits like provident fund and gratuity.

The case was lodged with the Khulna Divisional Labour Court on 28 April, following continued non-compliance by BAT.

TBS reached out to BAT for comments, but they did not respond.