Two state-owned jute mills workers' organisations at a press conference at the Khulna Press Club on Thursday demanded payment of their arrear salaries and reopening of closed jute mills
The angry workers announced a new programme to press home their demands.
In a written statement at the press conference, Ruhul Amin, co-coordinator of an organisation named ''Workers-Farmers-Students-Public Unity' for Protecting Jute Mills, said on July 2, 2020, twenty-six state-owned jute mills were shut down on the pretext of losses.
Despite the government's announcement not to terminate any workers in the corona situation, 26 jute mills were shut down at once and all workers were thrown into the streets.
During the closure of the jute mills, the Jute Minister made it clear at a press conference that the mills would be modernised and re-opened within three months after paying the arrears of all the workers within two months.
Though one year has elapsed, the dues of the permanent workers are being paid slowly by showing various excuses. It is not yet possible to pay the dues of those permanent workers in full. Apart from permanent workers, there are 26,000 temporary workers in 21 jute mills. But none of these workers get their dues.
The organisations decided to place a memorandum to the deputy commissioner on June 24. On June 30, a sit-in will held at the central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka and a memorandum will be submitted to the Prime Minister in this regard.
