State-owned jute mills workers observe symbolic hunger strike
About 50,000 workers demonstrated on the second day of the six-day movement
State-owned jute mill workers of Khulna, Jashore, Rajshahi and Chattogram on Wednesday demonstrated with a symbolic hunger strike over 11 demands.
The demands include payment of arrears wages, implementation of the wage commission, cancellation of public private partnership, payment of provident fund gratuity to retired workers and employees, regular payment of weekly wages to workers, and allotment for buying jute in the jute season.
On Wednesday morning, workers from Crescent, Platinum, Daulatpur, Khalishpur, Dighalia, Alim, Eastern, Carpeting and JJI Jute mill gathered at their respective mill gates to observe the strike called by the State-owned Jute Mill CBA-Non-CBA Sangram Parishad.
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About 50,000 workers demonstrated in the symbolic hunger strike on the second day of the six-day movement.
Abdul Hamid Sardar, convener of the State-owned Jute mill CBA-Non-CBA Sangram Parishad, spoke at the labour rally along with other leaders.
On November 17, workers of nine state-run jute mills in the Khulna-Jashore region announced a six-day agitation program demanding payment of arrears wages and implementation of the wage commission.
In Rajshahi, jute mill workers also demonstrated from 8am with a symbolic hunger strike over the same 11 demands.
In Chattogram, the workers of Amin Jute Mills also participated in the symbolic hunger strike.
Ahmed Kabir, a worker of the jute mill, said, "We are observing the strike over 11 demands. The first of the demands is to implement the wage commission. Also, the authorities have to pay our arrears wages."
Another worker, Kamal Uddin, said, "The government gave Tk100 crore to the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation to pay arrears wages till November. This is our third demand. Our main demand is to include state-owned jute workers on the national pay scale."
