Three laid-off Khulna jute mills reopen tomorrow
Staff Correspondent, Khulna
State owned Crescent Jute Mill, Star Jute Mill and Platinum Jute Mill, laid-off on last April 19, will go into partial production from next Sunday. There is no possibility to reopening of another laid-off mill--Peoples Jute Mill, said a source at Khulna zonal office of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) office. BJMC Zonal Coordinator Shamim Ahmed told this correspondent yesterday that only sacking department of the three jute mills would be reopened. As a result, one-third of the 17,000 jobless workers of these three jute mills will be able to join work. Shamim Ahmed admitted that Tk 40 crore has fallen arrear against wages of 17,000 workers of Crescent, Platinum and Star jute mills. Payment of arrear wages will be made in phases after the mills go into full production and funds allocated by the government, he said. These three jute mills have raw material in stock to continue production for a week, he said. The government earlier laid-off the four jute mills as its employees and workers staged demonstrations for payment of arrear salary and wages, resulting in clashes with law enforcers. Several workers were arrested. Last week the BJMC chairman and high officials visited the four mills and held lengthy meetings with their managements on scope to reopen the mills.
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