The intervention of Thakurgaon’s Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Chandra Biswas broke the deadlock at the factories of Kazi Farms Limited in the district as workers returned to their workplaces yesterday.
Thousands of workers of the factories in the district heaved a sigh of relief as a satisfactory compromise was reached between the factory authorities and the three groups – Thakurgaon Motor Paribahan Sramik Union, Thakurgaon Kuli Sramik Union and Thakurgaon Truck-Tank-Lorry-Covered Van Sramik Union.
The deputy commissioner chose to mediate on Thursday as previous attempts to reach a compromise between the warring parties failed.
General Manager of Kazi Farms Limited’s Thakurgaon office, Mohiuddin, said the deadlock had caused a loss of around Tk100 crore.
“We believe the differences will be fully resolved through talks and also without acts that lead to financial losses,” he said.
Manager of Kazi Hatchery Limited in Habibpur, Masud Alam, yesterday said there were no further obstacles and factory operations had turned normal.
President of Thakurgaon Truck-Tank-Lorry-Covered Van Sramik Union, Joyen Uddin, said protests had been called off in the wake of the deputy commissioner’s assurance.
The deadlock began when the three groups demanded Tk 200 in toll from each truck carrying eggs produced by Kazi Farms, and also demanded that union members be paid to load and unload trucks at the farms.
Kazi Farms refused to pay toll and did not agree to employ the union labourers because they already have workers at their farms who are capable of loading and unloading trucks.
Besides which, the company's biosecurity rules (rules for prevention of poultry disease) do not allow any labourers to enter the farm compound. All works inside the farm compound are done by farm workers who are housed in the farm compound.
