Hundreds of rice mill workers in Jessore are passing an inhumane life due to long working hours and a meagre wage.
Moreover, the seasonal nature of the job means that the workers are unemployed for a significant part of the year forcing them to borrow money with interest. As such the mill workers, especially the women, are facing immense hardships.
Golapi Rani Mondol has been working at the rice mill of Mir Mizanur Rahman at Prembagh area of Abhaynagar upazila. At the age of 50, she works 15 hours and gets less than Tk90 per day.
The amount she gets per month is not even sufficient for herself let alone her family. But yet she has to save some money to send home in Dacop upazila where her mother and four sisters live. And to do that she lives in a shanty beside the rice mill and eats only vegetables available at the mill garden.
“If I work, I can feed myself and my family. But I cannot work all year around because rice mills operate only for certain period. So I work about 10 months and remain unemployed for the rest of the year,” she said.
When she is out of job, she has to borrow money from others. Most of the time rice millers give loan with high interest. “I have about Tk9,000 to be paid off. But the money I earn is not enough.”
Golapi Rani is not alone. There are about 4,000 workers in about 400 rice mills in Jessore. One third of the work force is women, according to Jessore’s food control office.
Other workers said during the season they get about Tk28 per maund. Their job is to parboil the rice, dry them and then polish them.
Parul and Zohra said women workers get less paid than the male workers. “And if we fall ill, there is no money. We have no allocation for treatment or other benefits.”
When contacted, mill owner Habibur Rahman said they were facing loss due to the rice import from India. “Indian rice sells at Tk28 per kg while we sell for Tk30. People do not buy our product and hence we are facing loss.”
He, however, denied the allegation of charging interest for loan. “Those who work here sometimes take money from me and then they repay them during the season. I do not charge interest.”
A worker, on assurance of anonymity, said mill owners charge interest on the loan. “I took Tk5,000 and pay 10% interest.”
Bangladesh Foundation, a non-government organisation, works for the welfare of the rice mill workers in Abhaynagar. Its Executive Director Abdul Latif said they had information of 100 workers from 22 mills.
“According to our findings, the mill workers work for 14.39 hours on an average and get Tk94 per day. But they need about Tk213 for daily expense. The workers has been demanding at least Tk250 per day,” he said.
Labour Inspector of Jessore Abdur Razzak said the condition of the rice mill workers were appalling.
“When we approach the mill owners they claim that the mills were run by traders and deny to take any responsibilities.”
“However, we have had several meetings with the owners to increase the daily wage.
