Tk 58cr for June wages of jute workers

Tk58 crore has been allocated for 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 gave the allocation as ‘Operation Loan’ on Sunday said a press release of the Textiles and Jute Ministry.

The amount of money will be provided to respective accounts of the workers through ‘Account Payee Cheque’, it said.

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.

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.