Rock lifting stopped at Madhyapara for 5th day
Rock extraction by Madhyapara Granite Mining Company Ltd (MGMCL) remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day yesterday due to indefinite strike of Bangladeshi miners to press home their five-point demands.
MGMCL officials yesterday held a meeting with leaders of agitating Bangladeshi miners at Madhypara conference room and tried to persuade the miners to attend their work by assuring them that their demands will be tabled to high officials of Petrobangla.
The meeting, however, ended without reaching any consensus.
Md Delwar Hossain, director of outsourcing company M/s Shapnapuri that has employed the 283 Bangladeshi miners, however, expressed optimism that the workers will attend work from today (Sunday).
The 283 Bangladeshi miners started strike on Tuesday last to realise their five-point demand including 20 per cent wage increase, 100 per cent mining allowance and arrangement for provident fund, MGMCL officials said.
The 44 Korean miners of contracted company NAMNAM are now engaged in operating the underground mining equipment to pump out the underground water and other scheduled work for maintenance of machinery.
Terming the strike a result of 'conspiracy to create unrest at Madhyapara', several MGMCL officials said the workers' demands are illogical.
There are 11 sister concern companies under Petrobangla that do not pay provident found to the outsourcing workers, they said.
MGMCL that have been extracting 1100 tonnes of rock a day since it started commercial rock production in mid-2006 is now counting Tk 14 lakh each day due to the strike of Bangladeshi miners.
When contacted, MGMCL Managing Director Khurshidul Hasan expressed hope that the Banglaeshi miners will attend their work from today.
Leader of the agitating miners, Md Mostafizur Rahman declined to make any comments over their movement to realise their demands.
Meanwhile, the Bangladeshi workers of MGMCL formed 'MGMCL Workers Right Protection Committee'.
Police have been deployed inside the MGMCL compound to stave off any unwanted situation.
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