The Norwegian NCP has accepted a submission from terminated employees and union leaders in Grameenphone in Bangladesh relating to the company’s majority owner Telenor ASA. The NCP offers its good offices to the parties.
The complaint concerns labour rights with respect to freedom of association, payment of statutory entitlements to employees, and long-lasting domestic legal processes relating to these issues.
Trade union leaders and members of the Grameenphone Employees Union (the Complainants) when it was established in 2012, submitted the complaint to the Norwegian NCP on 9 February 2026. The complaint is directed at Telenor ASA.
The Complainants allege that Telenor has failed to observe the recommendations of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (the Guidelines) with respect to risk-based due diligence, use of leverage and ethical oversight of its subsidiary Grameenphone.
The NCP has determined that parts of the complaint warrant further consideration. The NCP has limited the scope of its further consideration to questions concerning Telenor’s responsibility under the Guidelines to carry out due diligence and use its leverage to mitigate potential adverse impacts related to the termination of workers in 2012. The termination was allegedly due to the Complainants’ involvement in the formation of a trade union, while the prolonged court proceedings allegedly led to a denial of the Complainants’ right to an effective remedy.
The NCP finds that the claim related to alleged non-payment of dues from the Workers’ Profit Participation Fund (WPPF) does not warrant further consideration under the Guidelines. This matter depends heavily on the interpretation and application of Bangladeshi law, and the NCP considers that this matter should be addressed through the ongoing court proceedings in Bangladesh.
The NCP’s decision to accept the submission is based on the initial assessment criteria in the Procedural Guidance of the OECD Guidelines and the Procedural Guidelines of the Norwegian NCP.
The NCP considers that an offer of dialogue and mediation between the parties may contribute to the purposes of the Guidelines. The NCP has at this stage made no assessment as to whether the company has observed the Guidelines.
“The specific instance provides an opportunity to examine the responsibility of a multinational enterprise and majority owner in relation to its subsidiary’s alleged anti-union activities and possible denial of the right to access to an effective remedy. Both Telenor and the Complainants, as well as unions and other stakeholders, may benefit from greater clarity on these issues” – Frode Elgesem, Chair of the NCP.
The NCP’s initial assessment is published here.
For questions about the specific instance, contact:
Frode Elgesem, NCP Chair, ph: + 47 416 96 089.