Khulna jute mill workers go on fresh indefinite hunger strike
Leaders of the state-owned Jute Mill CBA-Non-CBA Sangram Parishad declared the resumption of their agitation programme
Workers of state-owned jute mills in Khulna industrial belt went on fresh indefinite hunger strike from Sunday noon to press home their 11-point demand, including implementation of the wage commission.
After a meeting at mill gate at around 2pm, leaders of the state-owned Jute Mill CBA-Non-CBA Sangram Parishad declared the resumption of their agitation programme to press home their demands.
Back in December 13, workers at nine state-run jute mills in Khulna, who started fast-unto-death on December 10 to realize their demands, had postponed their strike for three days following a meeting with State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Munnujan Sufian.
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On last Thursday, the government had a meeting with the workers' leaders at textile and jute ministry where state minister for labour, jute ministry secretary, senior officials of at Bangladesh Jute Mill Corporation (BJMC) were, among others, present.
Former CBA chairman of Crescent Jute Mill Murad Hossain said, "In the third phase of the meeting, State minister Monnujan Sufian had sought another month time to fulfil our demands, but the jute mill workers disagreed with this."
However, aggrieved workers decided to go on fresh strike as Thursday's meeting with labour leaders failed.
Labour leaders said that they have doubt about the implementation of the wage commission after a month.
The 11-point demand also includes cancellation of public-private ownership, allocation of necessary fund for jute sector, insurance for families of deceased workers, provident fund and gratuity facility for retired workers and regularisation of temporary workers.
