The authorities have suspended the election to Grameenphone Employees Union (GPEU) for an indefinite period.
The decision was taken at a meeting held at the office of Roksana Chowdhury, deputy director (Medical and Labour Welfare) of the Department of Labour, on December 5.
Later the election commission, formed to conduct the election, issued a notification to this effect on the same day.
Union leaders said that they clearly saw a conspiracy by the employer and the Labour Department authorities behind the suspension.
The election was scheduled to be held on December 9 this year, according to the schedule announced on November 7.
The election commission notification said, "A meeting was held on December 5 at the Department of Labour to resolve the discrepancies in the final voter list and the objections filed by the authorities and union members with the Department of Labour."
At the meeting, the caretaker informed that obtaining certified copies of the latest court decisions of the cases related to the Grameenphone Employees Union is desirable to prepare a final voter list correctly.
In order to prepare the final voter list correctly, the election that is fixed on December 9 according to an election schedule announced on November 7 has been declared suspended.
Grameenphone Employees Union was formed in 2012, but registration was secured from the government in 2019.
Since its inception, the organisation could not hold any election by voting through secret ballots.
Imrul Quais, assistant general secretary of the Grameenphone Employees Union, told the FE that election was suspended due to an objection filed by the authorities, although they have no right to interfere in the elections of the employees union.
According to the Section 195 of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006, no employer or the trade union of employers or any person acting on their behalf shall impose any condition in a contract of employment restraining the right of the worker concerned to join a trade union or continue his membership of a trade union.
Mr Quais said that a draft voter list was prepared before publishing the final one and reasonable time was given to rise objection or bring correction on it but the management did not place any objection.
Adeeba Zerin Chowdhury, communication secretary of the Grameenphone Employees Union, said, "It is very much suspicious that after finalising and approving the voter list by the Labour Authority, how they suspended the election before 4 days of the election without having any court order."
It is very much unfair and unlawful to stop it suddenly before the ending of the process without having any court order. It is an example of serious violation of freedom of CBA and democracy.
The role of the labour authority is to supervise the election as per the law and legal process and the role of employer is to facilitate the election only without having any undue influence and intervention.
Both the authorities will be neutral in their role but it has not been seen here, said Abeeda Zerin Chowdhury.
She said, "It seems there is a clear conspiracy by the employer and the Labour Authority breaching the laws of the land and they should be punished and responsible for this."
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of the election Muhammad Noor-E-Alam told the FE, "The Department of Labour instructed to suspend the election considering an objection filed by the Grameenphone authorities regarding the voter list and we just carried out the instruction."
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