Stand up against the conspiracy of local and foreign seed
companies to destruct BADC.
Provide increased wages to BADC workers.
Dhaka, 25 October 2016. Today
Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation (BAFLF) and National Women
Farmers & Workers Association (NWFA) jointly organized human chain/rally in
front of National Press Club, Dhaka urging Stand up against the conspiracy of
local and foreign seed companies to ruin BADC. They also demand for providing
increased wages to BADC workers.
The speakers in the human chain said,
Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), the seed producing and
distributing agency, has
been playing significant role in bringing technologies and quality seeds and
distributing those at the farmers’ level. But, unfortunately BADC has been
weakened in various ways with various master plans according to the
instructions from the World Bank and IMF as a strategy of cutting subsidy for
agriculture. Governments have even been also providing policy to support
private seed company. The seed policy of 1993 is an example of such intention. It
is said in the policy that, BADC will stop producing seeds that are being
produced by private companies and BADC will withdraw its upazila (sub district)
based selling centers and these will be replaced by private companies.
.
Workers from BADC, BRRI, BARI, Jute Research Farm,
Sugarcane Farm, Dairy Farm, Sericulture Farm, Cotton
Farm participated in the demonstration. Following the rally, in an assembly,
presided by Mahmudul Hasan Manik, Vice President of BAFLF, speech was delivered
by Abdul Mazid, General Secretary of BAFLF. Among others workers leader Kamrul
Ahsan and Mir Delower Hossoin of National Workers Federation, Abul Kashem of
Bangladesh Sramajibi Kendra, Nurjahan Begum of NWFA, Golam Sorowor, Md. Mamun,
Abdul Hamid, Lahuj Uddin spoke in the gathering.
In his speech Abdul Mazid says that BADC is internationally recognized for producing
quality seeds and BADC workers have great contribution to do so.Due to the
aggression of foreign seeds of MNCs ,our quality seed is losing its market and
BADC have been destroying. He adds, as a part of local private seed companies
and MNCs conspiracy to reduce BADC seed production, in 2002 total 1604 regular
workers of BADC were forced to leave BADC with a Golden Hand Shake. BADC
authority is doing this curtail in the name of reducing operational cost. Now
there is no regular workers in BADC, though this is a formal organization. Seed
production needs intensive and regular care, without regular labour, it is not
possible. He demands for recruitment of more appropriate number of workers and
to regularize all irregular wage workers.
Abul
Kasem of BSK says, after a successful negotiation between BAFLF and
Agricultural Ministry, Agriculture ministry agreed to increased daily wages of
farm workers and accordingly published an order determining 500 BDT for regular
workers and 450 for irregular workers dated 12 June this year. All workers of
state own farms are getting their re-scheduled increased wages in accordance
with the order. Unfortunately, over the past two
months, the BADC authority illegally stopped to pay the increased wages of BADC
workers. As a result, BADC farm workers are living miserable with family. Over
last 14 years BADC authority is persistently violating workers’ right.
Shanjib
Das, workers leader of BADC says, the farm workers are working hard to produce quality
seed. If they do not produce seed, farmers will not get quality seed for
cultivation and research activities will be hampered. Yet, these workers are
victims of extreme deprivation. He says, BADC is a public institution, but
there is no permanent arrangement of determining workers’ wages, allowances and
other facilities. They have no economic security. In spite of working over 25
to 30 years on regular basis, BADC workers are being deprived of getting all
facilities. He demands payment of their overdue and increased wages.
The
bellow said demands were stated from the demonstration:
1. Immediately to provide re-assigned increased wages
of BADC workers.
2. Regularize all present irregular workers flowing ‘Agricultural
Farm Workers’ Appointment and Control Policy’.
3. Stop conspiracy to destroy foundation seeds, the
main resource of agriculture production, in the interest of home and foreign
seed companies.
4. Stop corruption in the name of ‘masterrole’ and
provide workers’ wages through bank.
Contract: Golam Sorowor, +8801711 951709
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