Jute mill workers threaten to block road, railway

Workers of state-owned jute factories have threatened to go on strike and block roads and railways.

They are pressing for release of jute procurement funds, formation of a wage commission, and payment of dues of workers sacked on July 1, 2009.

A joint body of public and private jute mill workers on Tuesday demanded an to attempts to handover state-owned mills to private owners.

Mohammad Sohrab Hossain, convenor of the joint body, said “The mills have almost shut down as jute had not been purchased in the ‘fabric season’.

“Thousands of workers are facing risk of losing their jobs.”

He announced a 24-hour jute mill strike on June 8; a token hunger strike on June 10 in front of state-owned mills in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi; and the blocking of roads and railways on June 14, if their demands are not met.