Govt declares services in Biman essential; restricts trade union activities

In a desperate move to discipline the struggling national carrier, the government has declared services in Biman Bangladesh Airlines essential and restricted all trade union activities.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 2 April 2017, 02:54 PM
Updated : 2 April 2017, 03:44 PM

According to a recently issued order, the associations of Biman employees, officials, or pilots will be penalised if they try to enforce any programme like strike or cease-work.

The labour and employment ministry issued the order for six months through a gazette published on Mar 20, Shakil Meraj, a general manager at the national flag carrier, said.

He told bdnews24.com on Sunday that the order aimed to keep the services of the airliner away from disruption.

"This will limit some activities of all the trade unions in Biman," he said.

The order said the government decided to bring the Biman employees' jobs under essential services in line with the Essential Services Ordinance of 1958.

Disobeying any 'lawful' order given in course of such employment, or attempts to persuade any person to disobey any such order, or abandoning such employment or being absent from work without reasonable excuse will be considered offences under the Ordinance.

"Any person found guilty of an offence under this Ordinance shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or with both," it says.

There are 10 registered trade unions in Biman after it became a public limited company in 2007, many of which are followers of different political parties. These trade unions elect the collective bargaining agents (CBA).

The authorities faced industrial actions from the employees several times when the national carrier attempted to take punitive measures against the CBA leaders on charges of irregularities, graft, or even smuggling.

In 2010, Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka was crippled for three days due to a strike by Bangladesh Airline Pilots' Association.

Ground handling stopped when Biman Workers' League went on a strike in January 2013, halting takeoff of any aircraft for five hours.

A pro-government workers' organisation of Biman once demonstrated for some demands, confining the Biman managing director in his office.

A labour and employment ministry official said it was the civil aviation ministry which requested the Labour Ministry to declare Biman services essential. 

Biman was turned into a public limited company in a bid to put a tap on continuous losses in 2007. The management was handed over to the board of directors at that time, but the company posted losses of Tk 51.9 million in 2007-8 and Tk 155.7 million in 2008-9. The total loss in the next five years was over Tk 14.35 billion.

It again saw profit in 2014-15. The amount of profit that year crossed Tk 2.72 billion.

Read Story in Bangla