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Today is the Great May Day. The day for the realization of the rights of the working people of the world. On this day in 1886, Hay Market workers in Chicago, USA sacrificed their lives to demand 8 hours of work. The rights of the working class were established through their self-sacrifice that day. Since then, this day of sacrifice of workers for the rights of working people is celebrated as 'May Day' all over the world. Currently, the entire country is burning in intense heat. Day by day the temperature mercury is rising. People are gasping for heat and discomfort. People's lives disrupted by intense heat. It has adverse effects.
Still, a group of men and women workers can be seen drying paddy in bare feet on brick and stone floors. Local low-income people, laborers from Nadi Bhanga and Rangpur are seen more in this occupation. Along with men, women are also working to make the family more prosperous. Many families have become self-sufficient. They have to work hard all day in the hot sun. But, the family runs on whatever the income is. The wages are low compared to their backbreaking labor. But women are more neglected. Less than men.
According to the Sherpur Upazila Food Regulatory Office of Bogra, there are currently 9 autos and 187 Husking rice bikes licensed in the upazila. Also due to lack of license renewal there are about 200, mini Chatal about 1200. About 15 thousand workers are working in these factories, 70 percent of them are women workers. However, there is no difference between men and women in terms of labor among the workers working in this sector. Here everyone is working tirelessly from early morning to late night gathering wood on their shoulders. Be it heavy or light work.
Talked to women working at Johnny Traders in Sherpur Upazila of Bogra. They have no idea about the day they will get their rights. However, both of them know that May Day is the day to claim their rights. Rokeya, Khadija, Bilkis, Feroza, Ohela said, today is the day of the realization of rights, what is the benefit of movement for the realization of rights? comes every year. It was no use. We women are neglected compared to men. If you don't work for a day, you won't have enough rice in your stomach. We do this work forever with sweaty labor. I get money if I work.
They also said that our job is to thresh rice for 3 taka while drying the paddy, break the paddy for 100 maunds of 15 kg of rice. It earns 300 to 350 taka per day. And boys earn an average of 600 rupees. Even after marriage we work. May the family be more prosperous. If husband and wife work together, they get more money.
Ashrafur Islam (51), a chatal worker of Sherua Battala area, said that he sweats from his body due to hard work. Clothes get wet. You have to wipe your face with a towel again and again. Body sweat matches the body. The workers are tired but busy drying paddy. “Sometimes I go to the tree to wash my body. With so much labor, at the end of the day, only 500 to 600 taka comes.”
He also said that we come from home in the evening and start boiling rice until 5 or 6 in the morning. The work of drying the paddy in the morning and taking the paddy in the evening and measuring it has to be done. In this way, the workers have to be engaged in non-stop work from paddy to the moment before the rice is marketed. There will be no objection to stay in this job.
Chatal owners Zakaria Jewel, Johnny and Mahmudul Hasan Naeem said that this work has to be done with great difficulty. The number of workers in this work is less. Laborers have to pay 70 thousand to 2 lakh rupees in advance for each laborer to work. They have to return the money if they leave the job. But many laborers don't.
Salahuddin/sa
