Outsourcing staff threaten strike to realise demands

Staffs of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd (BCMCL) employed through outsourcing have threatened to go on a strike if their demands including making their job permanent is not met.

Abul Kashem Sikdar, president of BCMCL Workers Union read out the keynote at a press conference in the mine area on Monday afternoon, highlighting the demands.

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The demands include -- cancellation of outsourcing system from the company's organogram, making permanent jobs of all the staff already employed by outsourcing agents in the company, filling of the vacant posts through fresh recruitment, pension for all employees, implementation of the country's coalmine projects by BCMCL and overseas training arrangement for the existing staff.

As many as 141 people have been serving at different posts in the mine under an outsourcing company.

"These people have been working with the mine since the project started in 1994. They have been agitating for the last 14/15 years for realisation of their demands, but the authorities remained indifferent to it. In 2008, the mine authorities employed 12 people as officers through a circular, but they did not take any initiative to fill the vacant posts of other staff," Kashem said.

If the authorities fail to meet the outsourcing employees' demand within July 31, they will start a strike in the first week of August.

Contacted, BCMCL Managing Director Aminuzzaman said amending the company's organogram rules is not under their authority.

He urged the employees to refrain from any activity that affects the production of the mine.