Grameenphone has contributed BDT 30 crore to the Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation Fund for the welfare of workers during COVID-19 challenges. A three-member delegation from Grameenphone led by its Chief Human Resources Officer CHRO Syed Tanvir Husain handed over the funds to the Hon'ble Secretary of the Ministry Mr. K. M. Abdus Salam at the Secretariat.
Grameenphone had been regularly contributing a certain portion of its profits to the Bangladesh Workers Welfare Foundation. As the highest contributor to this fund, Grameenphone has so far deposited TK 151.61crore.
During the check handover event, Secretary of Ministry of Labor and Employment K. M. Abdus Salam said, “The government created the Labour Welfare Foundation in compliance to the Labor Law of Bangladesh for the welfare of the hardworking labor community.
The fund provides support to the workers in the formal and informal sectors in the treatment of accidental deaths in workplaces, injuries, incurable diseases and also for the higher education of meritorious children of the workers.
During this Coronavirus crisis this year, around two thousand workers have been aided with approximately BDT 6.25 crore from this fund.” He also stated that under the leadership of the Labor and Employment State Minister and Chairman of Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation Begum Munnujan Sufian, the Workers Welfare Foundation shall always work towards the welfare of the workers.
In this regard, Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) of Grameenphone Syed Tanvir Husain said, “Our socio-economic situation has undergone major transformations during this ongoing Covid-19 crisis. Organizations of different sectors need to step up to aid the people as a measure to tackle this situation.
It is an honor and privilege for us to be part of various initiatives to tackle this crisis by cooperating with development partners, government bodies, and industry stakeholders, to provide the mass with emergency telecom services, aiding the frontline healthcare professionals and distressed population and empowering the youth. In this unprecedented adverse time, this assistance will undoubtedly help the distressed workers.”
Under the Bangladesh labour law, domestic and foreign companies contribute one-tenth of 5% of their profits to this fund at the end of the year. So far, 165 companies, including Grameenphone, have contributed a certain portion of their profits to this fund. These funds are spent on the welfare of the workers engaged in formal and informal sectors.
The fund handover ceremony was attended by President of Bangladesh Sramik League Fazlul Haque Montu, Director General of Bangladesh Workers Welfare Foundation, Mollah Jalal Uddin NDC, Inspector General of DIFE Shib Nath Roy, Additional Secretary of MoLE Dr. Rezaul Haque, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Grameenphone WPPF Yeasir Mahmood Khan and Grameenphone Industrial Relations Head K. M. Sabbir Ahmed.
