Barapukuria miners threaten strike for profit bonus

Underground miners of Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd (BCMCL) yesterday warned of an indefinite strike from January 21 if they are not given profit bonus 'pledged' by the authorities.
Demanding the bonus, the Bangladeshi miners of the company held a press conference at Dinajpur Press Club yesterday morning.
Nur Islam, general secretary of Barapukuria Coal Mine Workers Union, read out the keynote paper at the conference where around 50 Bangladeshi miners were present.
Tk 4 lakh 76 thousand or five per cent of the total profit of BCMCL has been distributed among the surface workers but the underground miners who extract coal from about 1200 feet underground risking their lives became deprived, miners said at the press conference.
Earlier on December 30, representatives of 1100 underground miners handed over a memorandum to the managing director of BCMCL demanding profit bonus within seven days, but the authorities are showing reluctance about it, they said.
"We, the Bangladeshi miners of BCMCL, are urging the energy ministry to take necessary steps for paying profit bonus considering the risks that we take to keep the mine operational," reads the keynote presented at the press conference.