Production at nine state-owned jute mills in Khulna-Jashore industrial belt came to a halt as workers started a 24-hour work abstention yesterday morning to press home their 11-point demand. 

Setting tyres on fire in front of the mills, workers started demonstration around 6:00am. The agitating workers chanted slogans demanding full payment of arrears, implementation of wage board, regularisation of weekly wages and others. 

They also urged the government to buy jute products for other sectors from the protest. 

Some workers staged street drama in front of Daulatpur Jute Mill to publically depict their plight. Roads near the mills were blocked as hundreds of workers gathered at the mills’ gates. 

The jute mills that faced the protest are Daulatpur Jute Mill, Khalishpur Jute Mill, Crescent Jute Mill, Platinum Jute Mill, Star Jute Mill, Jashore Jute Industry and Carpeting Jute Mills. 

Mizanur Rahman, worker of Platinum Jute Mill, told The Daily Star that they wanted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention. 

The last three months have been extremely difficult for us and our families, he added. 

He further said, “Government should take pragmatic steps to run the jute sector. Otherwise, we all will lose our jobs. 

“Some BJMC [Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation] officials threatened us saying the government would take back Tk 100 crore to the finance ministry [which was allocated for jute industry’s development] if we do not call off the strike.” 

Asked, Murad Hossain, former president of Crescent Jute Mill, said BJMC never paid attention to run the sector properly. 

“BJMC targeted to buy 8,31,893 quintals of raw jute for the current fiscal year, but only 2,02,267 quintals were bought in last five months that is 24 percent,” he said, adding that if mills failed to buy targeted raw jute, production would also be    hampered. 

On the other hand, Boniz Uddin Miah, liaison officer of BJMC Khulna zone, alleged that mills failed to produce less than the target due to lack of modern machines and equipment. 

“How would BJMC solve this problem?” he asked. 

Over 31,000 people work at the nine jute mills in Khulna-Jashore industrial belt on permanent and temporary basis. The government announced a wage board in June 2015, but it is yet to be implemented. 

On top of that, authorities of Crescent Platinum, Star jute mills owe money to its workers for 11 weeks, Khalishpur Jute Mill owes for nine weeks and Daulatpur jute mill owes for 10 weeks. 

Other jute mills also have a due for at least seven to eight weeks to its workers. 

Yesterday’s work abstention was a part of the workers’ seven-day agitation programme that was announced on November 23 under the banner of “State-owned Jute Mill Collective Bargaining Association (CBA) and Non-CBA Sangram Parishad”.