The demands include payment of arrears, implementation of Wage Commission for jute workers, cancellation of Public Private Partnership (PPP), payment of gratuity and weekly wages.
In Rajshahi, workers of Rajshahi Jute Mill blocked the Rajshahi-Natore Highway in Katakhali on the outskirts of the city.
Zillur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Katakhali Police Station, said workers came out on the road around 10am but withdrew after a while and went back in front of the factory gate.
The situation is under control, the OC added.
“Our demands include implementation of the national wage commission, cancellation of public-private partnership and gratuities payment of retired workers and staff of the factory,” said Jillur Rahman, president of Rajshahi Jute Mill CBA Sangram Parishad.
The organisation’s General Secretary Shamim Hossain, Treasurer Mostak Hossain, and Vice-President Abdul Alim took part in the protest with hundreds of workers and staff.
In Chattogram, jute workers brought out separate processions in Sitakunda, Bayazid, Patenga, Pahartoli, and Sagorika industrial areas with empty plates on their hands.
Another procession organised by Amin Jute Mills workers in the city marched through several roads starting from Chattogram-Hathazari highway in the morning.
Workers’ leader Arifur Rahman said they had previously demonstrated but none of their demands were met. Government and other corporations’ workers get National Wage Commission under a scale determined in 2015 but jute mill workers were exempted. Moreover their minimum wage of 10 weeks that they used to get is also due. Many retired workers are yet to get their gratuity while many others died without being paid.
The protesting workers would observe token hunger strike on November 27 to press home their demands.
Meanwhile, workers of nine Jute Mills in Khulna and Jashore separately brought out processions in the industrial area of Khalispur. The procession paraded through different roads and ended at the entrances of different jute mills around 11 am.
Convenor of Jashore Khulna Jute Mills workers, Md Murad Hossain, said a total of 13,170 permanent workers and 17,413 temporary workers were working in nine jute mills in the district.
The workers have not been getting their salaries for around 9 to 11 weeks, and they are yet to receive dues of past four months.