Workers stay away from duty, place 4 demands

Workers of Amin Jute Mills in Chittagong lazing on the compound after stopping work yesterday to press payment of arrear salary. PHOTO: Focus Bangla

They placed a four-point demand to managements of the mills as preconditions for resuming work in the two mills.

The four-point demands include withdrawal of lay-off orders, full payment of all arrears including those for the lay-off period and unconditional release of arrested workers now in jail.

Workers of these two jute mills have already informed local authorities of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) that they would start fresh agitation it their four-point demands are not fulfilled immediately.

The decision to resume partial production in sacking sections with 186 workers of the two jute mills is nothing but a 'new trick' to befool workers and ignore their right, said convenor of Khulna regional committee of Patkal Sangram Parishad (PSP) Sarder Motaharuddin.

The new crisis created out of workers' reluctance to join work without payment of arrears and meeting other demands could not be resolved despite a three-hour discussion held on Tuesday between CBA leaders and the Joint Director of Labour.

Zonal Coordinator of BJMC Shamim Ahmed was also present at the meeting.

Terming the situation as grave, Shamim Ahmed said he was waiting for the next decision from higher authorities on possible ways to tackle the problem.

"I am almost fed up with this sort of situation", he said while talking to this correspondent yesterday.

"I am smelling an unpleasant situation again in the industrial belt as some CBA leaders are fanning the trouble by instigating workers" he said earlier.

Four state-owned jute mills were laid-off by an order of BJMC chairman on April 19 following agitation by workers for payment of arrear salaries and wages.

Meanwhile posters were seen on walls of the laid-off mills with slogans in support of 'another tough agitation' in Khulna industrial belt in protest against non-payment of arrear wages and non-procurement of 'required funds' to resume full operation of the laid-off jute mills.

CBA leader Abdul Malek at Peoples Jute Mills demanded withdrawal of cases against filed under the Emergency Powers Act with Khalishpur and Daulatpur police stations.

"We have made it clear to BJMC authorities that any move to reopen any of the laid-off mills without payment of arrears will bring no positive development to end the deadlock", Malek said.

BJMC Chairman Ashraful Islam visited the laid-off mills on May 20 at the head of a six-member high level team and held meetings with top officials of the eight state owned jute mills on May 21 to find out ways to resolve the crisis.

He submitted a report to the government recommending partial operation of the laid-off jute mills, sources said earlier.