Barapukuria miners reject offer of salary hike, continue strike

Barapukuria miners rejected a move by the authorities to increase their salaries and benefits and continued their indefinite strike on the third day yesterday.

The agitating workers of Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd (BCMCL) turned down the offer as their main demand was regularisation of job union leaders said.

Meanwhile, the unit of labour directorate in Rajshahi on Wednesday issued a notice to the trade union leaders terming their indefinite strike illegal.

The notice also asked the TU to explain within seven days why its affiliation would not be cancelled for starting an agitation without serving any prior notice.

But the miners ignored the notice and strengthened their agitation yesterday with 1500 of them and their family members taking position outside BCMCL compound round the clock.

Sources said at a meeting on Wednesday afternoon the labour contract company XMC and BCMCL accepted the miners' demand to increase their salaries and other facilities.

At the meeting it was observed that the authorities would need more time as it was not possible for them to regularise the jobs overnight.

Sources said, the miners went out for discussing the matter with their adviser Md. Mohsin and later 'mysteriously' declined to accept the offer and join their work.

Talking to this correspondent, Rabiul Islam, president of BCMCL workers and miners union, said they had demanded their salary raise under a pay scale. But the BCMCL turned down our proposal, he said.

Source : The Daily Star

No comments:

Post a Comment