The Hindu Business Line : Jute workers threaten stir from year-end

PRODUCTION of jute goods and subsequently exports are likely to be hampered as 15 central trade unions have decided to go on an indefinite strike at the end of the year.

According to sources, representatives of the trade unions have decided to present the strike notice on November 15. Meanwhile, deputations have been made to the West Bengal Chief Minister and the Labour Minister.

The main issues behind the strike call are the non-implementation of the tripartite agreement signed in January 2002, a hike in the dearness allowance, regularising payment of salary and wages and introduction of festival bonus.

In the event of a strike, the jute industry might fail to meet the export target fixed by the Union Ministry of Textiles. In 2002-03, the industry registered an export growth of 62 per cent compared to the previous financial year but missed the target of Rs 1,000 crore because of the Iraq war.

Meanwhile, for the current financial year, the Union Textile Ministry has set a fresh export target of Rs 1200 crore, or $250 million.

Leading central unions such as CITU, INTUC, AITUC, HMS and others will be participating in the strike. Talking to Business Line, representatives of these unions felt that the mill owners were depriving the workers of a higher dearness allowance.

It may be noted that mill owners have frozen employee dearness allowance from February this year citing poor financial health of the industry. Since most jute industry workers have touched the bonus ceiling, the mill owners have stopped paying bonus. The trade unions have been demanding a special festival bonus.

"The mill owners are also not making gratuity payments. This is totally unfair. We are aware of the industry's targets, but at the same time the mill owners have to understand our demands," a trade union leader said.

Meanwhile, the trade unions are also highlighting the cause of the workers of the National Jute Manufactures Corporation Ltd (NJMC), the ailing central public sector unit. "The employees of this company have not been receiving their salaries and wages regularly. We are demanding that the government should regularise payments as early as possible. We are also against the disinvestment of NJMC," a union leader added.

In August this year, the jute industry faced another strike more or less on the same issues. The strike was then called by the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and two of its allies, but it fizzled out within a day or two because of the lack of support of the central trade unions.

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