Jute mill workers are set to go back to work from Saturday after their five-day hunger strike, which they called off on Thursday night following government assurance that their demands would be met.
The workers will go back to the mills at 6am, and production will begin as usual, said Md Murad Hossain, joint convener of Patkol Sramik Sangram Parishad.
“Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi assured us that the wage commission would be implemented by January 16, and then the rest of our 11-point demand will be gradually fulfilled,” he added.
The workers began their work abstention and hunger-strike-unto-death on December 29 to press home their 11-point demand that included implementation of the wage commission and payment of regular wages, cancellation of public-private ownership of jute mills, and allotment of necessary fund for jute sector.
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During the five days of the strike, at least 55 workers fell ill and had to be administered saline through intravenous drip, sources said.
About 50,000 workers of Star, Platinum, Crescent, Alim, Eastern, Daulatpur and Khalishpur jute mills in Khulna, and JJI and Carpeting jute mills in Jessore took part in the hunger strike.
The workers of the state-owned jute mills had gone on work abstention and observed fast-unto-death once before, on December 10-13.
During that strike, one of the protesters, Abdus Sattar, 55, a worker of Platinum Jute Mills, died at Khulna Medical College Hospital on December 12. The workers postponed their strike until December 17 upon receiving government assurance.
