The permanent and casual workers of seven state-owned jute mills of the Khulna–Jessore industrial belt, who have been agitating over the past year to press home their five-point charter of demands under the banner of the Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA) and Non-CBA Oikkyo Parishad, are jointly planning to go in for a more intensive movement once again. The workers are seeking full payment of all their arrears and other financial benefits. The seven of the nine state-owned jute mills in Khulna region are Crescent, Platinum, Star, Aleem, Eastern, JJI and Carpeting Jute Mills. The decision to resume their work stoppage and blockade programme was taken at a rally, held on May 1 (last Sunday), at Khalishpur industrial area to mark May Day. The convener of the committee and general secretary of the CBA of Crescent Jute Mills, Md Sohrab Hossain, presided over the demonstration in front of Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills. The member secretary of the central committee and joint convener of CBA of Eastern Jute Mills, Md Shah Alam, general secretary of Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills Employees’ Union, Khalilur Rahman, Crescent Jute Mills’ CBA president, Md Din Islam, and the member secretary of Non-CBA Oikkyo Parishad, SM Zakir Hossain, also spoke on the occasion. Convener of the Oikkyo Parishad, Sohrab Hossain, said the expiry of the deadline—without all dues being cleared—by April 25, as pledged by the authorities of BJMC, has elicited sharp reactions from among the workers, who can no longer be patient. Their families are at the point of starvation because of the financial crisis. There has been no progress in clearing all the dues of the workers in full, he added.
The general secretary of the Platinum Jubilee Jute Mill Workers’ Union and joint secretary of Oikkyo Parishad, Md Khalilur Rahman, said workers organised demonstrations every day in front of their respective jute mills and would do so over the next few days to send their message to the government about the upcoming programme for an intensive indefinite movement. The workers are yet to get 20 per cent dearness allowance (DA) and wages for four weeks.
BJMC liaison officer (Khulna zonal office), Mahabbat Ali Mian, said he could not say when the funds for payment of unpaid wages and dearness allowance would be allocated, and paid thereafter. The workers of seven state-owned jute mills of the Khulna–Jessore industrial belt went on strike, and organised a road and rail blockade programme from April 4 till April 13, to press home their five-point charter of demands. But they postponed their movement after receiving an assurance from the government that all their arrears would be paid in full by April 25. The five demands for the fulfilment of which the workers have organised their movement include: payment of their arrear wages and other financial benefits; payment of 20 per cent DA, which was announced by July 1, 2013, with their wages; allocation of adequate funds to purchase raw materials for running jute mills in an undisturbed manner to achieve production targets; implementation of the anti-polythene Act; exploration of markets at home and abroad for ensuring sales of jute products; and removal of corrupt officials, so as to ensure transparency in the administration of the mills.