Jute mill workers take to streets, press 11-point demand

Workers of three state-owned jute mills in Rajshahi, Chattogram and Khulna today staged protest to press home their 11-point-demand that include payment of due salary and implementation of wage commission. 

In Rajshahi, the workers of Katakhali Jute Mill staged a protest rally today morning to press home their 11-point demand that include a provident fund for current and retired workers.

As part of a central programme, the jute mill workers held an hour-long demonstration at the gate of the mill, demanding cancellation of the jute mills' public-private ownership and payment of provident fund gratuity for retired workers.

In Chattogram, the workers of Amin Jute Mills today morning brought out a hunger procession as their payment of salaries remain unpaid for 11 weeks, one of the demands being resignation of the Jute and Textile minister.

Hundreds of the agitated jute mill workers took to the streets at 9.00am with plates, begging symbolically, as they could not afford to buy food due to the halt in payment of salaries.

Speaking to The Business Standard, Mohammad Mostafa, general secretary of Sramink Kormochari Union, said, "As we are starving, the government decided to transfer ownership of jute mills across the country to the private sector."

"This decision is unexpected, and that is why the jute mill workers have taken to the streets demanding to scrap the decision and implement the wage commission promised to us back in 2015," he added. 

The workers echoed they will continue the hunger strike till December 10, threatening tougher movement if their demands are not met by the said date.

In Khulna, workers of state-owned jute mills today morning staged a hunger strike, pressing home the same 11-point-demand.

The hunger procession started today as the first day of the 7-day-long protest programme called forth by CBA, non-CBA Sangram Parishad.

Manaji Rahman, Deputy Manager of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation Khulna Zone, said, "Tk55 crore wages and salaries of the workers and officers remained due in last 11 weeks."