Jute mill workers observe strike for unpaid wages, pay increase
Workers of state-owned jute mills observed 24-hour strike in their workplaces across the country on Tuesday to press their 11-point demand, including payment of dues and pay increase.
No production activities were reported in 24 state owned jute mills, out of 26, under Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation on the day as the workers did not join works during the strike.
Workers in Khulna, Jashore, Chattogram, Rajshahi and Narsingdi under the banner of CBA-non-CBA Sangram Parishad along with Employees’ Unions observed the strike as part of their centrally declared countrywide programmes.
During the strike hours, the workers brought out processions near their mills, started fire with tyres and firewood to blocked roads, and held rallies.
As the demonstrators tried to vandalise cars on BADC Road at Khalishpur in Khulna in the morning, police charged batons to disperse the pickets.
Extra police forces were deployed the mill areas to avert any untoward situation.
Demonstrators said they were not getting their wages for 10 to 12 weeks and the government was yet to implement the National Wage and Productivity Commission Award 2015 though they, in a tripartite agreement signed on April 15, assured to implement the commission award by May 15.
Their demands include adequate budgetary allocation for the jute sector and buying adequate jute on season, payment of the outstanding provident fund and gratuity to retired workers and settlement insurance benefits to the families of the deceased workers, recruitment of workers, regularisation of temporary workers, reinstatement of sacked workers, and balancing, modernising, rehabilitating and expanding jute mills for better productivity.
The agitators said that they would continue their movement until their main demands of unpaid wages and new wage structure were met.
They announced demonstrations on December 8 and indefinite hunger strike from December 10 if their demands were not met by December 9.
The New Age Correspondent in Khulna reported that about 15,000 workers of nine state-owned Jute Mills in Khulna and Jashore observed the strike and the workers arranged gate meetings between 6:00am and 10:00am and between 3:00pm and 6:30pm.
As the workers started demonstration in Khalishpur, the BADC Road became almost clogged and traffic movement on the road was seized for several hours.
Khulna Jashore regional unit of CBA-non CBA Sangram Parishad member secretary Shahana Sharmin said that at least 40,000 muster roll workers were jobless for at least six months due to jute crisis, they said adding that no worker was regularised since 2010.
The New Age Correspondent in Chattogram reported that the strike was observed peacefully in nine jute mills in the region and the Amin Jute Mills workers took position in front of the mill gate and brought out procession in the morning carrying empty plates, symbolising that they were hungry.
New Age correspondents in Rajshahi and Narsingdi reported that the strike was also observed peacefully in the state-owned jute mills.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
