Ahsanul Amin George, Khulna :
Workers and employees of 9 -state-owned Jute Mills of Khulna- Jashore region have been living subhuman lives without getting their wages. After Eid, no arrear wage was paid to them .
Once some were given during KCC election and some were given before the Eid festival. As a result, the workers are now in deplorable condition. Their wages have turned into seasonal ones, alleged the helpless workers and employees of 9 jute mills.
With a view to maintain their families, most of the workers have already started to drive rickshaw-vans and battery run auto rickshaws (Easy bikes). Most of the workers are indebted to shopkeepers and as such the shop keepers are now not giving the necessary commodities including rice, dal , onion, oil and potatos on credit. Sources said, Tk 32.56 crore for wages of workers and Tk 10.81 crore for officials-staffs are still unpaid in 9 state-owned Jute Mills of Khulna- Jashore region. On the other hand, Jute goods worh about Taka 300 crore are lying unsold at Mills’ go-downs.
Meanwhile, Jute Mills’ workers observed different agitation programs to press home their 6 point demands including implementation of wages commission and allocation of fund for purchasing raw Jute.
On a recent visit in Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills Limited, located at Khalishpur industrial area, this correspondent found miserable conditions of the poor helpless workers. They informed this correspondent that they have been living inhuman lives without getting their arrear wages.
Abul Khayer, a Bodli worker of Platinum Jute Mill said, Bodli workes are weeping everyday, no shopkeepers are agree to give them daily necesssaries on credit. Particularly, the condition of women workers are more deplorable, said Beauty Begum who has been suffering from diabetes and her husband is a rickshaw-puller. Md. Omar who has become Muslim recently, another Bodli worker has been suffering from paralysis.
Kabir Hossain, a tea-seller of Khalishpur BIDC road aea said, due to non payment of wages of the workers, my sale has also decreased.
Sheikh Rahmatullah, Regional Coordinator of BJMC, Khulna office said, We have contacted the head office at Dhaka regarding the arrear wages and salaries, but the authorities instructed me to repay the arreas by selling Jute.
He (RC) hops that the government might take urgent step in this regard.
Sohrab Hossain, executive convenor of Jute Mills’ CBA-Non CBA Parishad said, they are in haphazard condition as the Convenor of Sangram Parishad Sardar Motaharuddin has been staying in Dhaka from whom we hope cooperation.
