Workers of state-owned jute, sugar mills start 48-hr work stoppage
Workers at seven state-owned jute mills in Khulna-Jessore industrial belt and four sugar mills in Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Natore began a 48- hour work stoppage from 6:00am yesterday to press home their demand for implementation of the recommendation of National Wages and Productivity Commission with effect from July 1, 2009.
Our staff correspondent from Khulna reported that around 50,000 workers of Crescent, Platinum, Star, Eastern, Aleem, Jessore Jute Industry and Carpeting Jute Mills went on the strike at the call jointly given by Jatiya Patkal Sramik League and Jute, Yarn and Textile Workers' Action Committee.
Security forces have been deployed in front of all the seven jute mills to maintain law and order. Earlier on February 15, workers of the seven jute mills observed a 24-hour strike to press home same the demand.
Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan, Convenor of Khulna-Jessore regional unit of the action committee, yesterday urged the government to implement the recommendations of the wages commission with effect from July 1, 2009 instead of July 1, 2010.
If the recommendation of the wages commission is implemented with effect from July 1, 2010 as being thought by the government, the workers will be deprived of their wages and other financial benefits for a year, Bhuiyan added.
He further said the jute workers will go for an indefinite strike if their demand is not immediately met.
Workers at Thakurgaon and Panchagarh sugar mills started a 48-hour work abstention programme from 6:00am yesterday, reports our Thakurgaon correspondent.
In Thakurgaon, the sugar mill workers brought out a procession on the mill premises and then held a rally there.
Acting President of Thakurgaon Sugar Mills Workers' Union Masudur Rahman, General Secretary Parimol Kanti Das, Workers' leader Aminul Islam and Saiful Alam addressed the rally.
They urged the government to meet their demand for early implementation of the recommendations of wage commission. Otherwise, they threatened to launch a tougher programme torealise the demand.
Panchagarh Sugar Mills workers took out a procession on the mill premises and held a rally there to press home the same demand.
Our Natore correspondent adds: Workers of Natore Sugar Mills and North Bengal Sugar Mills began a 48-hour strike yesterday morning to realise the same demand.
They also brought out processions and held rallies on their mill premises yesterday morning, The workers threaten to go for a month-long agitation if the demand was not immediatelt met.
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