Barapukuria workers threaten strike from April 21

The development workers of Barapukuria coal-fired power plant (3rd unit) threatened to go for indefinite work abstention from April 21 if the authorities did not appoint them as production workers by April 19.

The announcement was made at a press conference in the plant area in Parbatipur upazila yesterday.  Barapukuria (3rd unit) Andolon Porichalona Committee General Secretary Md Abu Sayeed read out the keynote paper in presence of other leaders and members.

He said 491 workers have been working as development workers of the 3rd unit since construction work of the 275 MW power plant (3rd unit) began at the end of 2015. They applied to be made production workers in August 2016, but the plant authorities are allegedly recruiting manpower ignoring their demand. “We have the ability to do the work,” Sayeed said.

They have been agitating for long, urging the plant authorities to include them as production workers, but the authorities are not heeding the workers' demand, he said.

If the recruitment of agitating workers is not start by April 19, they will start indefinite work abstention from April 21, he announced.

Barapukuria Power Plant (3rd unit) Project Director Shamsul Haque told reporters that the development workers were working on contract basis. Besides, the Power Development Board has no approval to take them as production workers, he said.

The development work of the 3rd unit will end in December this year.