Hard rock miners plan rail, road barricade
Strike continues, ultimatum ends but no programme today due to hartal
The miners of Madhyapara Granite Mining Company Ltd (MGMCL) continued strike for the third day yesterday to press for their seven-point demand including reinstatement of five fellows and withdrawal of the case filed against them by the authorities.
At a meeting held at the entrance of MGMCL yesterday afternoon, the agitating miners announced that they would launch a tougher agitation programme including blocking of Phulbari-Rangpur highway and rail tracks from December 1.
Earlier on Sunday, the miners gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the authorities concerned to meet their demands. Otherwise, they threatened to go for a tougher agitation from Tuesday morning. Though the deadline ended yesterday, the miners deferred their programme due to a countrywide hartal to be enforced by the opposition BNP on the day.
All the 292 miners and workers of MGMCL began an indefinite strike Saturday morning protesting termination of their five fellows including the president and the general secretary of Miners and Workers' Union of the company and withdrawal of the case against them.
Addressing a press conference at Dinajpur Press Club on Sunday, the miners alleged that the MGMCL authorities terminated five miners on November 25 without serving any show cause notice on them.
Miners have been demanding regularisation of their job with MGMCL for long. Against this backdrop, they protested appointments of nine officials and held demonstration when the officials went to the site for joining on November 23.
MGMCL authorities said the miners assaulted the officials and snatched their appointment letters. The company dismissed five miners and filed a case against them following the incident.
Meanwhile, miners of Barapukuria Coal Mine and workers of Barapukuria Power Plant expressed their solidarity with the miners of MGMCL.
Md Abul Basar, general manager (admin) of MGMCL, said the miners have been hired through the outsourcing company as per the decision of Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec).
“So MGMCL cannot regularise their job. But we've informed the ministry concerned about the miners' demands,” he said.
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