State-owned jute mills workers postpone ongoing strike

The demonstrating jute mills workers, who had been staging fast-unto-death strike from December 29 to press for 11 demands, withdrew their strike on Thursday night.

The announcement was made tonight by Sardar Abdul Hamid, convener of Bangladesh state-owned Jute mills CBA, non-CBA Songram Parishad after a meeting with Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi.

He said the fast-unto-death strike was postponed as the government assured to provide pay-slip to the workers as per the National Wage Scale 2015 by January 16.

Sardar Abdul Hamid also warned that they will resume their strike from January 17 if the government failed to fulfill its commitment.

About 50,000 workers of Star, Platinum, Crescent, Alim, Eastern, Daulatpur and Khalishpur jute mills in Khulna and JJI and Carpeting jute mills in Jashore started a fast-unto-death from December 29 to press for 11 demands, including implementation of the wage commission and payment of regular wages.

Workers of the state-owned jute mills had earlier gone on work abstention and observed fast-unto-death from December 10 to December 13.

Abdus Sattar, 55, a worker of Platinum Jute Mills, died at Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) during the strike on December 12. The workers postponed their strike until December 17 upon assurance from the state minister for labour.

But the promises were not fulfilled, forcing the collective bargaining agents (CBAs) and non-CBA Songram Parishad to resume hunger strike unto death.

The protesters’ demands include cancellation of public-private ownership of jute mills and allotting necessary fund for jute sector.