Workers Protest at Eastern Refinery in Chittagong Over 4-Point Demands

Workers and employees at Eastern Refinery in Patenga, Chittagong, are continuing their protests to press for four key demands.

On Thursday (June 4), protesters held a rally and procession in front of the refinery's main gate, marking the eighth day of their movement. Their core demands include the execution of biennial contracts for 2023-24, implementation of personal pay scales based on a 2003 agreement, ensuring housing facilities, and reforming the promotion policy—all in accordance with the Bangladesh Labor Act-2006.

During the rally, Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA) leaders urged the authorities to immediately sign the biennial contracts under existing labor laws. Eastern Refinery Employees Union President Dewan Mohammad Billal Hossain and General Secretary Md. Abdur Rahman, among others, addressed the gathering.

Abdur Rahman highlighted the refinery's crucial role in national energy security but criticized the management for unnecessarily complicating the workers' legitimate demands. He pointed out that a memorandum issued by the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources on February 27, 2025, has created obstacles to implementing the 2023-24 agreement.

Union leaders warned of stricter actions and new protest programs, in line with labor laws, if the long-standing industrial dispute is not resolved promptly.