Meet the jute mill workers’ just demands

We are worried to learn that 20 jute mill workers had to be taken to hospital in Khulna as they fell sick while continuing their fast-unto-death programme while at least 576 others became ill in the last few days as they had to stay on roads in cold temperatures. Workers of the nine state-owned jute mills in Khulna have been demonstrating for the last few months to press home their 11-point demand which include cancellation of public-private ownership of jute mills, payment of provident fund and gratuity for retired workers, regularisation of weekly wages, implementation of the 2015 wage commission and payment of their arrears. The workers had to take to the street several times last year with the same demands because despite repeated assurances from the government, their demands were not met. And now the situation has worsened.

It is shocking to see the children of the workers taking to the streets with their parents, many of whom will have to leave school if their parents are not paid their salaries. While with the meagre salary a jute worker gets, it is not possible to ensure three square meals for their children and bear their educational expenses, when they are not paid for months in a row it will be impossible for them to survive at all.

Needless to say, our jute sector is in a shambles. The state-run jute mills have been running at a loss for decades and so it has become difficult for the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporations (BJMC) to pay its workers regularly. But the question is, what steps has the BJMC taken so far to make this sector profitable again? If the privately-run jute mills can make profit, why can't the state-run ones? Here the issues of corruption, bad planning and poor management come in.

Reportedly, a lot of money is wasted every year in purchasing raw jute because the money is never allocated at the proper time by the government. Efficiency of the mills is also not satisfactory because they are running with old machinery. In addition, no substantial steps have been visible on part of the BJMC for diversifying the jute goods to attract the international market. These are just some of the issues that need to be addressed by the government to revitalise the sector. If that can be done, lakhs of people depending on this sector will be able to live a decent life.

Meanwhile, to solve the present crisis, the BJMC should immediately pay the workers their dues so that the workers and their families do not have to go hungry.