Kafco security members demand confirmation of services

CHITTAGONG, Apr 15: Security employees of Karnaphuli Fertiliser Co have demanded wages and benefits like permanent employees of the company and confirmation of their services.

They submitted a memorandum to the authorities concerned through Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chittagong Mesbah Uddin Ahmed  at his office Tuesday afternoon.

Hasanuzzaman Chowdhury, Zahir Ahmed and Milton Sinha, president, secretary and treasurer respectively of Kafco Security Members' Welfare Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Limited, among others, were present at that time.

They said there are 152 security personnel in the Kafco who were earlier paid their monthly wages on 'work and pay' basis by contractors engaged in setting up of the company. Their length of service ranges between 2 and 22 years.

Later, the contractors refused to pay as the security workers claimed wages and other benefits as other employees and officials of Kafco are getting. They also claimed to have formed a workers' welfare committee in consultation with the management of Kafco and continued movement for job confirmation, wages and allowances.

The workers said a tripartite meeting decided to fix their monthly wages at Tk 13,000 but the wages are not being paid to them. On the other hand, general employees are drawing annually Tk 0.7 million to Tk 1.2 million as dividend alone apart from their monthly salaries and fringe benefits.

The security workers said they staged demonstration and formed a human chain in front of the Kafco Housing gate Tuesday and they along with their family members would observe sit-in from 7.00am to 2.00pm today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday) at the gate.