Following the sacking of 10 miners at Maddhapara Granite Mining Company Ltd without notice, miners launched a daylong strike and confined around 100 employees to the administrative building yesterday for 10 hours.
Police and Rab personnel rescued the officials and staff at 7:40pm. However, the miners hurled brickbats at the officials when they tried to leave around 5:15pm and marketing manager of the mine Mahbubur Alam was injured.
The miners issued an ultimatum to the authorities to withdraw the sacking order yesterday or else they would go for an indefinite strike from today.
Sources said the miners began their agitation yesterday morning hearing about the sacking of the 10 miners who were members of the Sramik Karmachari Union of the mine.
The miners called for the strike instantly and confined the officials and staff to the administrative building by placing rocks in front of the building, sources said.
Monimul Haque Momin, president of Sramik Karmachari Union, was among the 10 sacked workers. He told a meeting held at the mine that they would go for tougher movements if the workers are not reinstated to their jobs.
The miners alleged that corruption and nepotism of mine officials mar production and they urged the government to form a monitoring committee to protect the mine from corruption.
Mine sources said outsourcing company Blue Star employed 282 miners there. Of them, 254 formed a trade union violating their employment contracts.
They also said the mine authorities filed a general diary on August 20 as the miners under the banner of their trade union threatened dire consequences after the authorities tried to suspend trade union activities.
Sirajul Islam, general manager (admin and finance), said Petrobangla, the parent organisation of the mine, would decide whether the miners would be reinstated to their jobs.