The agitating outsourcing employees of government and autonomous organizations have suspended their blockade program at Shahbagh intersection after almost seven hours.
They gave a 15-day ultimatum to meet their demands.
They blocked the Shahbagh intersection from 10:00am to 4:30pm on Saturday.
A delegation went to meet the chief adviser at 3:30pm, they talked to the press secretary.
Then they came back to Shahbagh intersection at 4:30pm and suspended the program with the ultimatum.
Anisur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Outsourcing Workers Association said they talked to the press secretary of the chief adviser. Then they came to Shahbagh intersection at 4:30pm and suspended the program with a fifteen-day ultimatum.
They said that if visible steps are not seen to meet their demands within 15 days, they will be forced to take more stringent programs.
Traffic resumed after the protesters left the Shahbagh intersection at 4:45pm.
Returning from the chief adviser's residence, Anisur Rahman said: "We did not meet the chief adviser. But we have spoken to his press secretary. He said that a separate reform commission will be formed to solve our problems, otherwise a solution shall be made through the existent reform-commission.”
He also said, "We are adamant in bringing our demands. We are giving them 15-day ultimatums. In the meantime, if no visible steps are taken to realize our demands, then we will be forced to take more stringent programs.
The protesting employees have raised multiple concerns regarding their employment conditions.
They allege that the third-party contractors, which handle labor management for government projects, have led to salary delays and job insecurity. Under the existing system, salaries and benefits are supposed to align with government pay structures; however, many employees report significant discrepancies and delays in receiving their wages, sometimes waiting for months or even years.
Masum, an employee in the Rajshahi Engineering Department, expressed frustration, saying: "We are doing government jobs, but contractors take a hefty part of our salaries. We want direct employment from the government, not through contractors."
Sohel, a driver with the Department of Agricultural Extension, echoed similar sentiments, claiming that the company deducts money from their rightful salaries after recruiting them through tenders.
Mohammed Hasnain, an employee with BIWTA, lamented his situation, saying: "I have not received any salary for the last six months, even though I work at the same level as the revenue employees. We are victims of discrimination despite being equal in ability, skill, and hard work."
He highlighted that the contractors often take a commission from their salaries, leaving them in precarious financial situations without job security. The protesters fear that without permanent positions, they may lose their jobs at any time.
They believe that stabilizing their employment is the only viable solution to their ongoing issues.
Meanwhile, Zonayed Saki, the chief coordinator of the Ganasamhati Andalon, said the demands of the protestors are quite rational.
While talking to Dhaka Tribune he said that there is a government policy of the direct recruitment of the employees in the projects of the government and the autonomous organizations, which doesn’t require the intervention of the third-party contractor between the employees and the authority.
However, having connection of the bureaucrats with the contractors, the culture still exists in the system, being it very discriminatory for the workers, said Saki.
He suggested to create a tool [a list of the employees] for who works in these projects, if not included in the revenue sector of the government.
He further said, while working under the projects many employees exceed their maximum age for the government service. The paused period of the projects could be maintained easily without causing job insecurity among the outsourcing employers by enlisting them. They could wait in the paused period, at least they won’t suffer from the insecurity. The employees for the next government or autonomous organization would be recruited from the list.