End repression on farm employees

A human chain was formed in Thakurgaon Old Bus Stand area of the district town yesterday, protesting alleged repression on local workers of different farms of Kazi Group.

Leaders and activists of different workers' organizations---Thakurgaon Transport Workers Union, Thakurgaon District Truck, Tank Lorry and Covered Van Workers' Union and Thakurgaon Kuli Sramik Union--took part in the programme.

The participants demanded meeting their three-point demand including immediate cancellation of removal and transfer orders of local workers of the group's farms.

The other demands include immediate reappointment of local sacked workers at the farms and appointing workers from local people instead of outsiders.

They also threatened to go for tougher agitation programmes if their demands were not met immediately.

The programmes include a four-day work abstention at different farms of Kazi Group from tomorrow and 48-hour long transport strike in the district from April 11. 

Among others, Convener of Kazi Farms Birodhi Sangram Committee and President of Thakurgaon District Truck, Tank Lorry and Covered Van Workers' Union Md Join Uddin, President of district unit Jatya Sramik League Khairul Islam, and General Secretary of district unit Sramik Dal Abdul Jabbar, spoke.  

On March 14, the authorities concerned of Habibpur Poultry Hatchery (a sister concern of Kazi Farms Ltd) in Pirganj upazila of the district suspended 15/16 of its local workers showing cause of bio security all on a sudden.

Besides, over 10 local low-income workers and security guards of the poultry hatchery were transferred to other farms of the group in distant districts of the country.   

As the local political leaders failed to make negotiation between the farm's authority and local workers, the workers stopped operation of the poultry farm from March 19 under the banner of Sthaniya Sangram Committee and continued a sit-in programme in front of the farm's gate.  

Afterwards, the movement spread to other farms of the group including Salondar Kazi Poultry Feed where the authorities sacked a good number of labourers and appointed new workers from Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and other districts.  

Contacted, Manager of Habibpur Poultry Hatchery Mas-Ud-Alam said "To save birds from attacks of different deceases, the farm is to be kept under bio security coverage. Now we are using permanent workers for loading and unloading work instead of temporary workers to maintain bio-security. So we recently reduced the number of local workers."