3,000 Peoples Jute Mill Workers
Not paid off as quick as they laid off
Emran Hossain, from Khulna
The 3,000 laid off workers of Peoples Jute Mills Ltd, which shut down Wednesday with Tk 300 crore due in wages, found nobody at the factory in Khulna from whom they could know when they would get their dues. Since the notice regarding the closure of the factory was issued July 10, the authorities in Khulna failed to notify the workers when they would get their arrears. However, industries Adviser Geeteara Safiya Choudhury in Dhaka recently said the arrears would be given by the end of August. The workers are passing their days in anxiety as they do not have money or livelihood and are in constant threat of being forced to leave the factory colony. In the closure notice of the factory nothing was mentioned regarding payment of the arrears. The notice only said measures would be taken as per the rules of the Labour Law, 2006. Jobless workers roam around the factory in the hope of getting news about their payment and government steps to mitigate their sufferings. Journalists are not allowed inside the factory compound and Zone Office of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) in Khalishpur, Khulna. Deputy General Manager of the factory Mahbubul Alam refused to meet newsmen and the post of Zonal Coordinator of BJMC remains vacant since the former occupant of the post retired on July 17. "The government does not talk to us and I do not know who to ask about our salaries and other issues," said Ektiar Uddin, to whom the factory owes Tk 8 lakh. "I do not know what is to be done at this moment," said Motahar, to whom the factory owes Tk 5 lakh. The workers are also uncertain how they would educate their children and more importantly where would they live as the BJMC is yet to give a specific deadline to vacate the Peoples Jute Mills Ltd colony. On July 11, the factory authorities in a notice asked workers to vacate the colony immediately or rents would be deducted from their arrears. No further notices were issued. A number of workers left the colony for their village homes yesterday. However, some do not even have the money to move their families. Delwar, who in the last 30 years did not go to his village home, left for his village home in Pirojpur to see if there was anything left to fall back on. "Delwar left for his village home to find a place to stay as we could be ordered or forced to vacate the colony. Besides, we have no money with which we could rent a house here," said Jahura, wife of Delwar, to whom the factory owes Tk 3.5 lakh. Jahura fears her two sons would get no further education as she now cannot provide the costs. Jahura's elder son Al-Amin is an SSC examinee while the younger son Hemayet is a student of class-VII in the Peoples Jute Mills High School.
| 
