ILO sued by a former employee for non-payment of wages and end-service benefits
A retired employee of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Bangladesh has filed a case against the organization in the First Labour Court in Dhaka on Sunday (23 October 2022).
The employee named Md. Alam Miah alias Md. Ismail has joined the ILO Country Office in Dhaka on 07 April 1982 in the post of a Messenger/Chowkidar; and, later on he continued in the service without any interruption as a Messenger/Cleaner and was sent to retirement on 31 December 2020. Thus, he has served for about 39 years with satisfaction of ILO.
Mr. Alam miah has claimed an amount of BDT three crore (Taka 3, 02,41,057/-) being as his unpaid and back wages and end-service benefits from the ILO.
According to the plaint, Mr. Alam had applied to ILO on 03 March 1982 in response to an advertisement for the post of a Messenger/Chowkidar. Accordingly, he was selected to the post and ILO had issued an appointment letter (employment contract) in that effect on 06 April 1982; and Mr. Alam had joined on 07 April 1982. Mr. Alam’s service and works had been controlled and supervised by the regular employees of the ILO, including various Country Directors and Administrative Officers.
According to the plaint, Mr. Alam Miah had sent a representation to the ILO Country Office in Dhaka on 22.12.2021 for payment of the amount in terms of his unpaid and back wages and service related benefits. The same was then copied to the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment (DIFE) and Ministry of Labour and Employment of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. However, no response was made by ILO in that effect.
The Defendants of the litigation included the agency (ILO) along with its Country Director, Admin and Finance Officer and the Director General. The Pro-forma Defendants are Inspector General of DIFE and Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and employment.
