Loom workers on strike
Work abstention by the loom workers at Jem Jute Mills Limited at Muslimbagh in Boda upazila of Panchagarh continued for the fourth day yesterday.
The workers have been agitating in front of the largest jute mill in the northern part of the country since Saturday to realise several demands.
The demands include weekly holiday on Friday, eight-hour work period with reasonable wages and refraining from random sacking of worker.
The workers alleged that the mill authorities forced the loom-workers to work on Friday from last month cancelling their holiday. They also forced them to work additional times for covering job of three shifts with two shift's workers.
Previously, the mill authorities paid workers' wages on Thursday but now they fixed the payment day on Friday.
Mill sources said, about 26 metric tonnes of hessian (coarse cloth of jute) is produced each day in the loom section of the mill.
Loom workers get Tk. 52 for making 110-yard hessian. On an average, each of them gets Tk. 1,200 to Tk.14,000 in a week.
Contacted, Deputy Manager (HRD) Sajjad Kadir said, the mill follows laws. Work goes on peacefully and there is no unrest here. About 3,000 workers of different section are working regularly, he said.
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