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Grameenphone's parent company Telenor ASA issued a statement Thursday on the allegations of child labour and unfit working conditions that emerged earlier this year over its operations in Bangladesh.

A senior official of the Norwegian telecom group was quoted as saying dangerous working conditions including child labour are a major problem in Bangladesh, but "neither Grameenphone nor Telenor can take responsibility for social wrongdoings in Bangladesh".
 
A television documentary unleashed a flood of criticism in Norway in May after it revealed dangerous working conditions, accidental deaths and use of child labour by what the documentary producers alleged was a subcontractor of Telenor in Bangladesh.
 
"Telenor has recently been made aware of unacceptable working conditions at a subcontractor to a supplier to Grameenphone in Bangladesh," Telenor said in a release published on its website Thursday.
 
"In connection with this matter, which has now caught media attention, Telenor wishes to make some further clarifications," the statement said.
 
"On Sept 4, Telenor received a request from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) as to whether or not it had any knowledge of the company Gazi Engineering."
 
NRK had filmed child labour and hazardous working conditions at this company, and asked Grameenphone to look into the matter, Telenor said.
 
"Grameenphone immediately started investigations, and [Thursday morning] identified the company," the statement said.
 
"Gazi Engineering is not a subcontractor to Grameenphone, but a subcontractor to a supplier of construction services," Telenor stated.
 
Hilde Tonne, executive vice president of Telenor was quoted as saying: "This clearly shows the dilemmas we face when doing business in developing countries."
 
"Telenor is systematically working to evaluate and develop health, safety and environmental issues with our subcontractors, but there will always be challenges in developing countries and we have in the past few months concentrated on those that we are in direct relationship with," Tonne said.
 
"When we or others reveal unacceptable conditions further down the value chain, we will of course respond. We are now on to the case."
 
"It is a fact that our presence and long-term work in countries like Bangladesh yield positive spin-offs for the society as such," Tonne was quoted as saying.
 
"Dangerous working conditions, including child labour, are a major problem in Bangladesh. Neither Grameenphone nor Telenor can, however, take responsibility for all social wrongdoings in Bangladesh, but we have taken our share of the responsibility to improve conditions with our suppliers and to work for long-term improvements in all the communities where we operate," said Tonne.
 
Telenor hold a 62 percent stake in Bangladesh operator Grameenphone, which employed the unnamed "supplier of construction services" to make mobile antenna towers.

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Nalin Caldera  - Child Labour |2008-09-07 03:45:58 Child Labour is a common has become a very common issue. In Sri Lanka LTTE has been using child soldiers since their inception etc. In the case of Bangladesh due to a lot of poverty familes tend to sell their children for labour like in Thailand there is a lot of children in the sex market. we as parents would never want to get involved in cases of such even if we are in dia straights financially because of our upbringing & education. What is lacking in Bangladesh is that the Government should intervene and impliment laws where vendors such as Telecom giants involved in the supply of telecom towers for the countries telecommunication infrastucture, stict laws at the time of these companies signing up their contracts etc. There is a huge unemployment crisis in B'dash but it is the responsibility of the government to take care of these issues. There is a lot of exploitation everywhere in the world but there has to be a set of RULES to follow & that could be implimented by the govering parties of any country. I work for a telecommunication tower manufacturer as well as involved in the installation of towers not only in Sri Lanka but in various foreign countries. There are certain safty regulations we have to adhere to when it comes to installation of towers where we have to have Insurance cover for the riggers and also safty equipment like safty belts etc which has to be used by the employees. So this is the responsibility very much of the Service Provider as well. In this modern world where technology has reached such heights and there are so many rich countries that control the world monitery sectors like the price of OIL etc etc and we in the poor third world cointries have to pay for generations to come..WHY. God created every one equal and why cant we all stand up for our rights? I hope that this mail will have an impact and that strict laws will be implimented in the future. Recently in Sri Lanka the SAARC conference took place and I wonder what the LEADERS have discussed.?? Child Labour Child Labour need to be eradicated from the world today All SAARC nations need to discuss and the find a way Reading stories of such and read what the world press would say Who has taken the bold step to stop child labour to this day So let all rise up and voice our concern Try make world leaders to discern Also where child soldiers are used let us disarm And impliment LAWS in our countries which are firm 0   0

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