Sanofi employees yet to get due benefits
Despite informing the management of Sanofi Bangladesh Limited about their demand several times, the company’s employees have only been given assurances
Around a thousand officials and employees of Sanofi Bangladesh Limited have expressed their concern about receiving their compensation and earned benefits from Sanofi Bangladesh Limited.
Employees of the company said they have only received assurances about their arrears, but not pragmatic announcements from the authorities concerned.
The Sanofi Bangladesh Ltd Workers-Employees Association expressed concern at a press conference held in the conference room of the Economic Reporters' Forum at Paltan Tower on Saturday morning.
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On 14 October last year, the company's country chair and managing director announced that they would complete the process of transferring 55% of their shares to a third company by March 2021.
Sanofi, a Paris-based multinational pharmaceutical company, will continue to sell its drugs on the Bangladesh market even if it relinquishes its ownership, according to a statement of the company issued on 16 October, 2019.
The attendees of the press conference said since the company made the announcement, they have been worried about the future of their jobs and have demanded their earned benefits and compensation be paid immediately.
Nuruzzaman Raju, president of the association, said, "We urge the local and global management of Sanofi to fulfill the demand of officers and employees within the stipulated time."
"Otherwise, we will be forced to take action to realise our demand," he said, adding that they have informed the management of the company about their demand more than once, but have only received assurances.
"It is our responsibility to protect the interests of our employees and we will never back down from fulfilling this responsibility," he added.
Sanjeev Kumar Chakraborty, general secretary of the organisation, said Sanofi is a loving name for Bangladeshi employees, and this bond of love has lasted for 62 years.
Sanofi has always been at the forefront of protecting the interests of its employees, not just the production of advanced drugs.
"The multinational company has done that in many countries across the world. We firmly believe that there will be no exception to Bangladesh," he said.
Sanofi has been manufacturing and selling drugs in Bangladesh for more than six decades under the subservience of the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC).
The French company has been doing business in Bangladesh since 1958. The Bangladesh government owns 45.36% of its shares while Sanofi owns the rest.
Sanofi is the second company, after GlaxoSmithKline, to decide to leave Bangladesh.
