Barapukuria workers strike

Agitating workers take position in front of the main gate of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company in Dinajpur as they go on an indefinite strike on Thursday. Photo: STAR

Miners at Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd (BCMCL) in Dinajpur went on an indefinite strike Thursday morning to press home their five-point demand which includes job regularisation.

The workers enforced the strike as their ultimatum to fulfill the demands by Wednesday failed to move the authorities, reports our Dinajpur correspondent.

The demands are: regularisation of jobs of 147 workers engaged in underground and surface mining operations; appointment of a full-time doctor for the workers; disbursement of profit bonus for 2011 and 2012; and introduction of life insurance scheme and food rationing for the miners.

Around 9:00am, 1,041 workers went to the factory as usual but did not join their works.

They started demonstration in front of the residential gate.

Wazed Ali Sarkar, president of BCMCL Workers’ Union, said on Sunday that the workers have been agitating for long to realise their demands.

Md Aminuzzaman, managing director of BCMCL, told The Daily Star the same day that the miners have been working under Chinese company XMCL.

"So they should place their demand to Chinese authority," he added.