Workers continue protest against jute mill lay-off

Security measures were stepped up yesterday at Atra industrial belt in Khulna city as workers of two private industrial units Afil Jute Mills and Mohsin Jute Mills continued staging demonstration against any extension of layoff period.
Raw jute crisis has forced the extension of the Afil Jute Mills lay-off for the third time from July 24 to July 31, according to the unit's Manager (admin) Anowar Hossain.
The jute mill that went for a June 30-July 16 lay-off extended such a suspension of production for the second time from 17 to 23 of the current month.
However, Hossain expects resumption of the production from August 1 on raw jute availability.
The Mohsin Jute Mills lay-off has been extended from July 20 to July 31.
The acting general manager of the manufacturer of jute goods, Md Fazlur Rahman, also expected that production would resume from August 1, if they could overcome some problems, including fund constraints and shortage of raw jute.
Meanwhile, the protesting workers, over four thousand in number, have threatened a tougher movement if the two jute mill authorities go for lay-off extension.