The workers of Latif Bawani Jute Mills and Karim Jute Mills in Demra have been blocking the road near the Demra Staff Quarter roads on Saturday (May 11), demanding payment of their outstanding wages.
The demonstration started on Apr 6.
Confirming the matter, Demra police station Sub-Inspector Rokibul Hasan said, “They started blocking around 8 am. They told us that they will not leave before 4 pm.”
The blockade created traffic gridlock in the area, causing immense inconvenience.
Workers said they are protesting to have their nine-point demand met, which includes payment of due wages and arrears.
The workers of the two jute mills are engaged in the protest, putting up road barricades.
The ongoing protest waged by workers of all state-run jute mills took a serious turn as they decided on a wildcat strike from May 14, demanding immediate salary payment and wages in arrears.
At a meeting in Dhaka on May 8, leaders of all Collective Bargaining Agents (CBA) and non-CBA units of the 22 state-run jute mills and three other jute product manufacturing factories decided they would simultaneously abstain from work starting May 14.
Following the meeting, which took place at the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) offices in Karwan Bazar, Arifur Rahman, publicity secretary of Patkal Sramik League, an ostensibly pro-government platform of jute mill workers, announced the strike programme.