Spinning mill workers block Dhaka-Aricha highway demanding wage hike

Transport movement on the Dhaka-Aricha highway came to a halt after workers of a spinning mill blocked the highway in Manikganj for about four hours this morning, demanding an increase in salary and allowances.

The workers of Nayadingi Rising Spinning Mill in Saturia upazila blocked the highway around 8:30am. The workers left the highway around 11:30am, our Manikganj correspondent reports.

The workers said that due to unknown reasons Nayadingi Rising Spinning Mill was not disbursing salary and allowance as per government policy.

The authorities did not take any action although the workers have negotiated several times. That is why they were demonstrating for an increase in their salaries and allowances, the workers said.

A top-level official of the management, preferring anonymity, said that the government has fixed the salary by creating a new structure in the garment sector, but spinning mills are not under the sector. But the workers of Rising Spinning Mill are protesting without understanding the matter. Some dishonest workers are waging this movement unnecessarily, the official said.

Sukhendu Basu, officer-in-charge of Gola Highway Police Station, said he and his team went to the spot after receiving information about the demonstration.

The mill owner and workers are negotiating to bring the situation under control, the OC said, adding that efforts were on to normalise vehicular movement on the highway.