Over 35,000 workers of nine state-owned jute mills yesterday began a 24-hour strike and work abstention since 6am, causing production at the factories to be be halted. They called the strike to press home a nine-point demand, including implementation of an already-proposed wage commission, payment of arrears and other financial benefits, allocation of adequate funds needed to purchase raw materials for running jute mills, removal of corrupt officials from the factories, gratuities and provident fund payments for retired workers. The nine state-owned jute mills in the region are: Platinum, Daulatpur, Khalishpur, Crescent, Star, Aleem, Eastern, JJI (Jessore Jute Industry) and Carpeting Jute Mill. Visiting the industrial belt yesterday, this correspondent found all jute mills shut down. Only a few officials of Bangladesh Jute Mill Corporation (BJMC) were present inside, along with security guards and police personnel at the mill gate. Jaino Fakir, a worker of Platinum Jute Mill, told The Daily Star that he gets paid only Tk 2,000 a week. “I did not get eight weeks’ payment. How will I feed my seven-member family?” he said. Moinul Karim, DGM of Platinum Jute Mill told The Daily Star that workers did not come to the mill due to the 24-hour strike. Over 4,000 workers are now working in Platinum Jute mill, he said. However, he could not provide statistics of what the production target for the day was or how much loss was incurred due to the strike. Md Khalilur Rahman, joint secretary of central Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA) and non-CBA Oikya Parishad, told The Daily Star that age-old machines are a major hindrance to production. “Only 40 percent production is possible by using these old machines. Workers are not being able to reach the targeted production,” he added. “Government allocates money for raw material purchase but not at the opportune time which is June or July, when jute sells for Tk 1,500 to Tk 1,600 per maund. It generally allocates the money at other times of the year when jute price is Tk 2,000 to 2,200, and there is a scarcity in the market,” he added. He said the government announced the wage board in June 2015, but it was not implemented. As part of their protests, the workers will hold a 48-hour strike on March 19, and a meeting in Dhaka on March 24, where they will announce their next course of action.
