Hunger strike begins for arrears, job security

Trainers, officials and employees of Sylhet Women's Technical Training Centre (SWTTC) yesterday morning started a 72-hour hunger strike from 8:00 am in front of the institution demanding payment of nine months' arrear salary and continuation of their jobs under new projects.
Earlier on Monday the trainers and employees began an indefinite strike and held a rally and announced the hunger strike programme.
Besides, they put the offices of principal and vice-principal under lock and key for 6 hours since 9:00 am on Sunday and on Monday. Police later unlocked the rooms in the afternoon.
Speakers at a rally yesterday threatened tougher agitation if their demands were not met within the next 72 hours. The agitating employees said they would continue their indefinite strike and observe other new programmes till steps taken to meet their demands.
Meanwhile, the female students also formed a human chain at Dakshin Surma Shaheed Minar to express their support to the demands of the staff. They also demanded immediate appointment of teachers and supply of books, as per rule.
Niamul Haq, a senior instructor of the training centre said, “We have no alternative to going for agitation”.
However, SWTTC principal Ashraful Islam said he had nothing to do with the issue that goes beyond the directive given by the higher authorities concerned. He said he informed the higher authorities about the situation.
The SWTTC was established under a development project at Alampur of Dakshin Surma in 2006.
The institution conducts two courses, one 6-month vocational and the other SSC vocational, for 300 female students. The three-year project ended in June 2009 and the staff of the centre remained unpaid since then although the labour and employment ministry asked them to continue their service, sources in the centre said.
The government gave an allocation last month for the centre on condition that the staff would have to be reappointed on temporary and contract basis from June this year. The condition triggered protest among the employees, sources said.