Sanofi employees demand compensation as company plans to exit Bangladesh
Sanofi Bangladesh employees are rallying against the company after news has hit that it intends to exit the country after 60 years.
A letter signed by the managing director of Sanofi Bangladesh, Muin Mazumder, stated that the French pharmaceutical giant will be looking for a third-party buyer to transfer its stake in the company within 12-18 months.
That letter - sent on 2nd October - came following a meeting held in September by Sanofi Bangladesh management during which no clarification was given regarding Sanofi’s intentions to sell its stake in the country.
During that meeting, country chair Ram Prashad Bhatt & managing director Muin Uddin Majumder told employees that they should confirm their proposal for a compensation package, in the chance the company decided to sell its share in Bangladesh.
However, up to 1,000 employees at Sanofi Bangladesh are now striking against the company due its refusal to confirm whether it will agree to the compensation package set out by workers.
In the letter sent confirming its departure from Bangladesh, Sanofi did state it is “committed to protecting the interests of its employees” through a “collective employment guarantee clause for at least twelve months”. What this means is that Sanofi employees would be guaranteed a year’s employment contract through whichever third party decides to buy the company – something which doesn’t sit right with workers.
An anonymous source told EPM that “in Bangladesh, third party working environment is very nasty and not suitable for multinational company employee[s].”
Furthermore, the source went on to reference third party deals involving Pfizer in Bangladesh during which employees weren’t given gratuity or any other benefits. Employees are also concerned about their job security when working for a third party.
“As Sanofi employee[s], we know that global Sanofi has [a] compensation policy of voluntary retirement/job cut/ windup/alternative model for their employees,” the source told EPM, referencing a company compensation policy for a chief executive officer.
“We spent our golden time in Sanofi Bangladesh Limited. We are on the way to [being] jobless in [a] very short time. We 1,000 Sanofi Bangladesh employees want compensation, gratuity and provident fund from Sanofi Bangladesh.”
Ever since October 9th employees have been on strike from the Sanofi Bangladesh, taking part in human chain protests demanding proper compensation with benefits before the company’s stakes are transferred.
More so, despite requesting multiple times for confirmation of a compensation package, employees were instead sent a letter by managing director Muin Mazumder demanding they get back to work.
“You are once again being advised to get back to work immediately failing which we will have no choice but to take appropriate steps, including implementing “NO PAY for NO WORK.” This will include stoppage of your monthly salary as well as daily and transport allowances. We also reserve the right to recover wages and allowances for all the days that you have failed to attend your daily work from 9th October 2019”, the letter reads.
The employees have now issued Sanofi with an ultimatum for compensation and will plan a hunger strike at the company’s head office in Bangladesh on October 31st if not cooperated with.
Sanofi has stated that while it’s selling its stake in Sanofi Bangladesh Limited, the company will still make its brands available in the country.