Alim Jute Mill
Workers' hunger strike today to realise arrears
Workers and employees of laid-off Alim Jute Mill will observe hunger strike from 6am to 6pm in front of the mill gate today as part of a programme to realise their arrear dues and withdrawal of the lay-off.
They have threatened tough agitation including putting up barricades on Khluna-Jessore highway at different points on Monday to be followed by self immolation by a group of workers if the authorities fail to meet their demand by the Sunday deadline, given earlier.
The workers are left with no alternative to such tough agitation programmes, said Alim Jute Mill CBA leader Abdul Hamid as the management is neither withdrawing the lay-off nor paying their arrears.
The workers and employees along with those who opted for quitting jobs under Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) announced the Sunday deadline and the agitation program on Thursday to press their demands.
To make the programmes successful, workers' leaders exchanged views with cross-sections of people at the mill workers' union office yesterday, sources said.
Earlier, on August 12, 801 out of 811 workers, 50 out of 57 employees and 6 out of 20 officials of the mill applied to the management to quit their jobs under VRS.
The management on October 1 accepted applications of 223 workers and 45 employees, allowing them to quit jobs under VRS.
But neither the laid-off workers nor those under VRS were paid their dues, the sources said.
Project Director of the mill, Monowar Hossain, expressed the authorities' inability to fulfill the demands due to non-allocation of fund.
He said Alim Jute Mill was a profitable enterprise though burdened with debts of nearly Tk 120 crore including arrear wages and salaries, bonus, layoff benefits, provident fund and gratuity of workers and employees.
The mill was first laid-off on September 22. The management extended the lay-off three times. The last lay-off notice was issued on December 6.
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