Jute Mills: Leaders say demo over, workers say not yet

On assurance from the government that the National Wage Board-2015 would be implemented, leaders of jute mill workers called off their strike last night.

However, workers were continuing their strike as of filing this report at 12:20am today, reports our local correspondent.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Mizanur Rahman, a worker of Platinum Jute Mill in Khulna, said they will not call off the strike until their leaders convey the assurance to them.

Last evening, leaders of Bangladesh Jute Mill Workers’ League and State-Owned Jute Mill CBA and Non-CBA Sangram Parishad had talks with Textile and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi and State Minister for Labour and Employment Monnujan Sufian at the Jute Diversification Promotion Centre to discuss the matter, said a press release.

“On the basis of the discussions, it is to be informed that workers will be given slips of the National Wage Scale-2015,” it said.

“Therefore, upon the declaration of leaders regarding the calling off of the strike, all the workers are requested to withdraw their movements and join work,” it added.   

Meanwhile, hundreds of workers from eight state-run jute mills in the Khulna and Jashore industrial belts have fallen sick so far, as they continued their fast-unto-death protest for the fifth consecutive day yesterday. 

The protest was held to press home an 11-point demand, including implementation of the 2015 wage commission and the timely payment of their wages.

Around 26 workers were admitted to local hospitals and clinics since the beginning of the protest at 3:00pm on Sunday. At least 12 from different mills were admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital. 

Apart from that, at least 977 workers fell ill during the same period, while 63 workers were having to take saline until yesterday, said the president of Crescent Jute Mill Employees Union and Joint Convener of Collective Bargaining Agents (CBAs) and non-CBA Sangram Parishad.

The jute mill workers marched through the BIDC Road and the Dhaka-Khulna highway at Notunrasta Mor and Kabirbottala of Sonadanga-Notunrasta Road in Khulna city. They blocked the highway around 11:00am, halting vehicular movement from both sides.

Around 12:00pm, they freed the road and went to the hunger strike venue.

Tareq Sheikh, a first-year student of Brajalal college in Khulna, told The Daily Star that he could not confine himself to the classroom while his father was protesting on the streets.

“Four of my friends yesterday expressed their solidarity and joined the demonstrations at Notunrasta Mor,” Tareq said.

Iqbal Hassan, a worker of Crescent Jute Mill, said, “I am in a fix. Should I have left the job or should I wait to get wage commission?”

“My three children joined the demonstrations and took part in the hunger strike even though I forbade them to do so… I would rather die than see my daughter from the seventh grade on the street with us.

“Our children should go to school but they are now in the movement to help their parents,” he said.

Around 3:00pm, six-year-old Yasin Sheikh said, “I came to see my father, Rafiqul Islam, who has not been home for the last four days.”

Rafiqul is a temporary worker at Platinum Jute Mill.

“Twenty-one leaders of the workers were in Dhaka to attend a meeting with the jute minister at Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation yesterday afternoon,” said Sarder Abdul Hamid, convener of CBAs and non-CBA Sangram Parishad.

BNP’s Khulna city and district unit formed a human chain in front of its party office at KD Ghosh Road yesterday noon. There, BNP leaders said the government has made false promises to jute workers several times.

Nazrul Islam Monju, president of Khulna BNP, said the government should immediately implement the wage commission for thousands of jute workers. 

Around 31,000 workers went into work abstention and observed fast-unto-death from December 10 to December 13.

Production in nine mills came to a halt due to the demonstrations. Carpeting Jute Mills in Jashore, however, was operating partially.

Later, workers postponed their protest until December 17 upon assurances from State Minister Monnujan Sufian of fulfilling their demands.

On December 27, leaders of “Sangram Parishad” announced they would resume their demonstrations as their demands were not met.

The demands include cancellation of public-private ownership initiative, allocation of necessary funds for the jute sector, insurance for families of dead workers, ensuring payment of provident funds and gratuity accumulations for retired workers, and the job regularisation for temporary workers.