Protesting Khulna jute mill workers demand arrears

Workers of the nine state-owned jute mills in Khulna were continuing their demonstration to press home a 11-point demand, including payment of due salary and implementation of a wage commission.

The agitated workers brought out a hunger procession this morning and also put a blockade on the Khulna-Jashore highway at Natun Rasta intersection in Khulan city for half an hour till 10.00am, reports our correspondent from Khulna.

Later, they returned to their respective mills, continued the demonstration. 

Today’s demonstration was the part of their seven-day agitation programme, announced under the banner of “State-owned Jute Mill Collective Bargaining Association (CBA) and Non-CBA Sangram Parishad” on Saturday.

The programmes include hunger procession for today, hunger strike at different mill gates from 8am to 5pm on November 27, protest rally on December 2, and strike on December 5.

They threatened a tougher movement if their demands are not met immediately.   

Their 11-point demands include cancellation of public-private ownership, payment of provident fund gratuity for retired workers, regularising weekly wages and implementation of the wage commission, payment of outstanding bills etc. They also demanded that the government buy jute products for other sectors.

Murad Hossain, president of Crescent Jute Mill CBA, earlier told The Daily Star that wages of 11 weeks are outstanding. “Jute workers are in a dire state. Many families are suffering from financial crisis while the wage commission is yet to be implemented,” he said, demanding immediate payment of arrears.