HC status quo on 5pc dividend to Grameen Kalyan staffs stayed

Staff Reporter  :
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a High Court order that asked the authorities concerned to maintain status quo for six months on a Labour Appellate Tribunal’s opinion that a five per cent dividend should be given to 106 sacked employees and staff members of Grameen Kalyan, of which Nobel Laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus is the chairman.

Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division, passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the sacked employees against the High Court order. It also sent the matter to the regular Appellate Division bench for a detailed hearing and fixed July 10, 2023 for the purpose.

The tribunal on April 3 opined that the employees were entitled to get a five per cent dividend of the company’s profits from 2006 to 2013 as per the Labour Act 2006.

Grameen Kalyan then filed a petition with the High Court challenging the legality of the Appellate Tribunal’s opinion.

Upon hearing the petition, the High Court bench of Justice Zafar Ahmed and Justice Md Bashir Ullah on May 30 this year asked the authorities concerned to maintain status quo for six months on the Labour Appellate Tribunal’s opinion.

The court also asked the Labour Appellate Tribunal to explain in four weeks why its opinion about payment of the dividend to sacked employees should not be declared illegal.

The sacked employees then filed an appeal petition with the Appellate Division against the High Court order.

Lawyer Khurshid Alam khan who appeared for the employees argued that the staff and employees were deprived of the five per cent dividend during the period 2006-2013.