Jute workers in Khulna and Jessore staged demonstrations yesterday to highlight their five-point demand, including a 20% dearness allowance, adequate allocation in the sector, and forming a wage commission board for state-owned factory workers like the pay commission.
Yesterday’s demonstrations were part of an 11-day programme announced in the wake of falling production and shrinking export.
Workers held rallies outside their respective factories at 10am and were addressed by labour leaders.
The slowdown in export has been caused by global recession as jute products began to heap up at nine state-owned jute mills in Khulna more than two years back.
Jute stocks began to dwindle in August and September last year but the recent spates of general strike and the indefinite blockade enforced since January 6 caused the problem to return.
Productions have gone down by half because of trade stagnation while the crisis of raw materials has also hit the factories hard.
According to Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) budget, a total of 4,091 jute looms should be operative every day for the nine state-run jute mills in Khulna, but only 2,600 are operating now.
Jute to be used in 10-12 days are now stocked at the mills on an average.
Procurement of jute has also been affected by fund crunch, which resulted from the growing stock of unsold jute at the factories.
BJMC Coordinator of Khulna zone Md Rafiqul Islam said the amount of unsold jute products at the nine state-run mills would be around 20,000 tonnes.
He said the products are exported to some eight to ten countries, including Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan and Egypt, but a fall in demand in the world market and political unrest have brought business to a standstill.
Md Sohrab Hossain, convener of CBA-Non CBA Oikya Parishad, said memoranda would be submitted to the deputy commissioners tomorrow and protest rallies would be held in each shift the following day.
“Some of the other programmes include exchanging views with professionals on April 10, holding protests outside factory feadquarters on April 12, and forming human chains on April 15. The 11-day programme will end on April 24 with the announcement of the next programmes,” he added.
