Sanofi Bangladesh Limited employees staged a sit-in on the company premises at Segunbagicha in the city on Thursday to press for compensation with benefits before the company's ownership transfer — FE photo Employees of Sanofi Bangladesh Limited on Thursday observed a human chain programme demanding proper compensation with benefits before the company's ownership transfer.
The demand was raised after the French pharmaceutical giant's official announcement of searching buyers to sell its Bangladesh operations under the company's global business strategy.
The employees of the drug maker, mostly sales executives, also organised a sit-in programme followed by the human chain at the Sanofi office premises in the capital's Segunbagicha area.
The demonstrators urged the company to compensate them with benefits like other multinational companies (MNCs) that wind-up business from Bangladesh.
An employee of the company, seeking anonymity, told the FE, "Sanofi high-ups said that there would be no job cut or change in policy in the first year of ownership transfer; but what will happen after? We have no idea."
"Sanofi is a compliant company but we know nothing about the third party which will take over the MNC's operation," he said adding: "We fear that the new company may deprive us from gratuity, provident fund and other benefits."
Many of the employees are working at the company for over 20 to 30 years and they do not feel safe about the company's share transfer, he added.
The company must ensure job security and pay all legal dues as per the Labour Act of Bangladesh before its exit, he further said.
However, the company management has not yet given any clear massage about the claimed compensation of the staff, according to the agitators.
Sanofi has been looking for a third party for handing over its operation to continue availability of its products in Bangladesh.
In Bangladesh, the company has been producing key life-saving drugs like Taxotere, Eloxatine, Lantus, Apidra, Insuman, Epilim and Avil for the last six decades.
The French drug giant holds 54.64 per cent of its stake here, while the Ministry of Industries and the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) owns 25.37 per cent and 19.96 per cent stake respectively.
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