Khulna jute workers resume agitation tomorrow

Workers of seven state-owned jute mills of Khulna-Jessore industrial belt will go on movement from tomorrow to realise their eight-point demand including payment of arrear dues.
This decision was taken in a meeting of state-owned Jute Mill Workers' Development Committee held on August 28 at Alim Jute Mill Workers Union office in Atra Industrial Area in Khulna city.
Leaders of the Workers' Development Committee gave an ultimatum to BJMC to meet their demand by today (Sunday) to avoid a tough movement.
The eight-point demand includes payment of all dues, non-privatisation of state-owned jute mills, allocation of sufficient fund to purchase raw materials and regularisation of casual workers job.
The programmes for movement taken in the meeting include road and railway blockade for indefinite period that would be followed by self-immolation by workers if authorities do not meet the demands.
Sohrab Hossain, convenor of State-owned Jute Mill Workers' Development Committee, said workers would paralyse Khulna city by launching a non-stop movement in case of further delay by BJMC to meet their demand.
When contacted, BJMC zonal coordinator Abu Taher said he did not get any fund to pay all the dues of about 15,000 workers of seven state-owned jute mills.
Meanwhile, vice chancellor of Khulna University Dr Mohammad Saifuddin Shah at a seminar yesterday said the government, owners and trade unions have equal responsibility to save jute industry from ruination.
He was addressing as chief guest the inaugural session of the daylong seminar on 'Globalisation and economic reforms and its impact on industry and labour marked' at Purbanchal Dialogue Centre.
He stressed the need for protecting rights of workers.
Senior Research Fellow of Centre for policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr. Khandaker Golam Moazzem presented the keynote paper in the seminar jointly organised by Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies and Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.