Our Correspondent, Khulna

Many jute mill workers in Khulna and Jashore fell sick as they continued their fast-unto-death for the third day yesterday to press home their 11-point demand.

Doctors at Khulna Medical College Hospital said seven workers were admitted to the hospital since early yesterday.

However, workers claimed that at least 100 protesters became ill. Of them, around 30 were admitted to different local hospitals and clinics.

Protesters said many workers were suffering from dehydration and cold-related illness.

Workers of eight state-run jute mills in Khulna and Jashore industrial belt have been staging the protest on the BIDC road in Khulna city, Atra industrial area and Rajghat area near Khulna-Dhaka highway since 3:00pm on Sunday.

Workers sat in front of the main gates to Star, Platinum, Alim, Eastern, Daulatpur, and Khalishpur jute mills in Khulna, and Jashore Jute Industries in Jashore under the banner of CBA and non-CBA Sangram Parishad. Their family members also joined the demonstration.

Production at those mills came to a halt due to the demonstration. However, Carpeting Jute Mills in Jashore was operating at partial production, said workers.

The workers’ demands include implementation of 2015 wage commission award, timely payment of wages, cancellation of public-private ownership initiative, allocation of necessary fund for the jute sector, insurance for families of deceased workers, ensuring payment of provident fund and gratuity accumulation for retired workers and regularisation of jobs of temporary workers.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Sarder Abdul Hamid, convener of Collective Bargaining Agents (CBAs) and non-CBA Sangram Parishad, said workers showed extreme patience during their movement, but they failed to draw the attention of the government to their demands.

He alleged that Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) was conspiring to destroy the jute sector by shutting the state-run jute mills.

“The BJMC is trying to create such a situation that the workers are forced to quit their jobs. Around one-third of the workers of the nine state-run jute mills have already left their jobs,” said Hamid, also the president of Alim Jute Mills Employees Union.

Presently, some 31,000 permanent and temporary workers are employed at the eight jute mills.

Khalilur Rahman Sumon, former president of Platinum employees’ union, said a worker of Khalishpur jute mills was admitted to the ICU of Khulna Medical College Hospital on Monday night after he fell sick.

“The situation may get worse from tonight [last night] as over 50 hours have passed since the beginning of the fast-unto-death,” said Khalilur.

He said they had to resume their protest as the authorities failed to keep their promise on meeting the demands

The workers had postponed their protest programme on December 14 following assurance from Monnujan Sufian, state minister for labour and employment, that their demands would be met.