Jute mill workers refuse govt’s proposal for discussion, continue fast unto death

State-owned jute mill workers continued their fast unto death on Wednesday for the fourth day to press home their 11-point demands including pay hike and payment of all the dues, refusing the government’s proposal for discussion on their demands.

Workers of 12 state-owned jute mills, out of 26, under the banner of CBA-Non-CBA Sangram Parishad, resumed their hunger strike on December 29, 2018 as their demands were not met within the government-assured time that ended on December 26, 2018.

The parishad leaders in Khulna, Rajshahi, Chattogram and Narsingdi said that at least 23 protesters were undergoing treatment at hospitals. About 650 others who were suffering from cold diseases and low blood pressure due to non-stop fasting were receiving treatment at the agitation grounds in the districts.

‘Khulna deputy commissioner and representatives from department for labour proposed us to sit in a meeting for discussion at about 4:00pm on Wednesday at the deputy commissioner’s office,’ the Parishad convener Abdul Hamid Sardar told New Age.

‘Later labour leaders of all the mills in Khulna region met in a meeting at Star Jute Mills Employees Union office to discuss about the proposal. We decided to refuse the proposal and decided to continue the fast unto death,’ he said.

He said that family members of the agitating workers will join their protests today.

‘Why should we sit for discussion? We sat for discussion several times in 2019. We sat with top officials of BJMC and jute ministry in presence of the state minister for labour. The state minister assured us of fulfilling our demands by December 26. Even the state minister’s assurance went in vain,’ he said.

He also sought the prime minister’s consent to have a meeting with them.

Hamid said that this was the fourth phase of agitation and fast unto death to press home their demands in the past one year.

Their demands include implementation of the National Wage and Productivity Commission Award 2015, payment of unpaid wages, adequate budgetary allocation for the jute sector and buying jute on season, payment of the outstanding provident fund and gratuity to retired workers and settlement of insurance benefits to the families of the deceased workers.

New Age correspondent in Khulna, quoting information center representatives of medical teams at the demonstration grounds in the city, reported that nine workers of Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills, four of Star Jute Mills, two each of Crescent Jute Mills and Eastern Jute Mills and one of Alim Jute Mills were hospitalised until 3:30pm on Wednesday. They said 579 protesters need treatment and 52 were administered administrated intravenous saline.

New Age Correspondents in Rajshahi, Chattogram and Narsingdi reported that four agitators of Rajshshi Jute Mills, five of Amin Jute Mills in Chattogram and three of UMC Jute Mills were hospitalised until Wednesday evening while several others were receiving treatment at their agitation grounds.

During hunger strike between December 10 and December 14, Platinum Jubilee Jute Mill worker Abdus Sattar, 55, died in Khulna and over 1,000 workers fell sick at their agitation grounds across the country.

Meanwhile, leaders of Left Democratic Alliance, a combine of nine left parties, in a statement alleged that the government had cheated the jute mill workers by not meeting their demands even after assuring them several times. They asked the government to meet their demands.

The Garments Sramik Adhikar Andolan, in another statement, extended their support to the jute mill workers’ demonstration.  

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net