Jute mill work hit due to cash crunch

HOWRAH: The functioning of Kanoria Jute Mill at Phuleswar was disrupted on Thursday, allegedly due to the impact of demonetization. The workers found the mill locked on Thursday morning. The gatekeeper informed them the management had given instructions not to allow anyone inside the mill. The workers were further asked to cooperate with the mill authorities who cannot run the mill due to cash shortage.
Incidentally, on Wednesday, the jute mill workers staged a protest against non-payment of their wages.They alleged they were not being paid for the past one and a half months.
Significantly, Kanoria Jute Mill is the laboratory of workers’ movement that had been running the mill under the collective leadership of trade union leaders. Leaders like Prafulla Chakraborty, Purnendu Bose and Dola Sen shot to prominence because of the movement.
However, they could no longer run the mill due to lack of fund infusion. Later, jute baron Shib Shankar Pasari took over the mill. When contacted on Thursday, Pasari refused to comment on the issue.