Reopen mills, pay arrears

Over 1,000 laid-off workers of People's Jute Mills yesterday staged demonstration in front of the administrative building demanding payment of their arrear wages and reopening of the mills.
The private owned Jute mills at Khalishpur was declared closed for an indefinite period with effect from 10:00pm on Sunday throwing over 2700 workers and employees out of jobs.
The authorities took the decision in the wake of work stoppage by the mill workers since Thursday last demanding increase in their daily wages from Tk 105 to Tk 200.
They (authorities) hung the layoff notice in front of mill gate at 11:00pm that triggered discontent among the workers. They immediately brought out a procession on BIDC road demanding withdrawal of the notice, increase in daily wages and nationalisation of the Jute mill with immediate effect.
Yesterday, the workers threatened tougher movement if their demands are not met by February 28.
The mill was shut down by the caretaker government on July 31, 2007 on grounds of severe financial crisis and other liabilities.
Later it was leased out to Kazi Firm Limited on condition of payment of
Tk 6.13 crore annually under terms and conditions of the agreement made with the BJMC.
The mill was again put into production from July 20 last year under private ownership. Since then the mill could never reach even one-third of production target of 70 tonnes a day due to crisis of raw material and appointment of unskilled workers.