Govt allocates Tk 58cr for June wages of jute workers

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DHAKA, July 5, 2020 (BSS) – The government has allocated Taka 58 crore with a view to paying due four-week wages of the month of June to workers of all state-owned BJMC mills, expect Alim Jute Mill, as per the National Wage Commission 2015.

The Finance Ministry today gave the allocation as ‘Operation Loan’ while the amount of money will be provided to respective accounts of the workers through ‘Account Payee Cheque’, said a press release of the Textiles and Jute Ministry here today.

The government’s fresh move on jute mill workers came after just two days later while Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi on Friday last held an online press briefing urging the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) mill workers not to worry as the Prime Minister (PM) has taken their responsibilities.

The government had decided to stop the production of 25 state-owned jute mills under Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) after paying cent percent dues, include wages, provident funds and gratuities to nearly 25,000 workers with a view to modernize and reform the mills which is being run with 70-80 year-old machineries to enable those in coping with the national and international demands of jute products.

On Friday, the jute minister gave assurance of paying the due wages of June 2020 to respective bank accounts of the workers in the next week as per the Wage Commission-2015.

According to the press release, the 60-day wages of July-August (as per the tenure of the notice) would also be paid in the respective months.

Fifty percent of all dues, including provident fund (PF), gratuity and golden handshake facilities, will be paid to respective bank accounts and rest of 50 percent would be given as savings certificates against respective names by September next, it said.

All dues of retired workers (8,954) since 2014, all due wages of current workers (24,886), provident fund and at maximum 27 percent rate of gratuity would be paid cent percent all together as retirement facilities and around Taka 5,000 crore will be provided from the government budget to this end. All dues will be calculated in light of the wage-commission-2015.

After the voluntary retirement, initiatives will be taken to run the mills under public-private partnership (PPP) or joint venture or G-to-G or lease model under the control of the government, it said.

The current workers, who will retire voluntarily, will get priority of jobs in the mills to be modernized and reopened in the new model and new employment opportunities will also be created while all workers must be rehabilitated in those mills, according to the release.