Moulvibazar Correspondent :
The tea workers observed a strike for the second day in 70 tea gardens of Juri and Longla Valley in Moulvibazar. The strike was observed for two hours from 9 am to 11 pm on Wednesday.
At this time, the workers protested by blocking the road in some places. A total of 36 gardens of Kulaura, Juri and Baralekha upazilas were observed. This programme was continued on Thursday.
According to the sources of the workers, according to the agreement made by the organizations of Tea Workers Union and Tea Garden Owner’s Organization Bangladeshi Tea Parliament, tea workers wages and other facilities are determined. This agreement is supposed to be executed every two years. The last bilateral agreement was executed on January 1, 2019. In that agreement, the daily wage of the workers was fixed at Tk120. Later there was no new agreement.
Recently, the Tea Workers Union, Bangladeshi Tea-Parliament, after discussing with the leaders, proposed an increase of Tk 14 in wages. But, the leaders rejected this proposal. On August 1, the central committee of the Tea Workers Union had sent a letter to the Bangladeshi Tea Parliament regarding the determination of workers’ wages at Tk 300 and the fulfillment of other demands. The letter stipulated a seven-day time frame to accept the demand. But, as the demands were not met during this period, the organization decided to go on strike.
Around 10 o’clock on Wednesday, it was seen on the ground that 700-800 workers both men and women, gathered in front of Juri’s Ratna Tea Garden Factory and observed a strike.
Suman Ghosh, President of Ratna Bagan Sramik Panchayat Committee and Chandan Chaja, President of Ellapur Outpost Garden Committee gave a brief speech there. Later, the workers protested by blocking the Juri-Batuli Customs Station Road. At this time, they also chanted various slogans demanding an increase in wages. Meanwhile, the workers of Luayuni-Holichara tea plantation in Kulaura went on strike.
Kalti Rabidas, a worker of a tea garden in Kulaura, complained that he did not even get the price of a liter of soybean oil while working in this sun-burnt and rain-soaked tea garden. He said the price of everything increases but not only our wages. Due to non-increase in wages, hunger strikes are common. Every day the price of something is increasing but not only the wages of innocent tea workers like us.
Sukhiya Kairi works at the same time. He said, my husband goes to the market to buy. I heard that the price has increased. But the cash wage increases by two
It was 120 rupees a year ago and it is still there. If you buy two kg of rice, there is nothing left for 120 rupees. We are a family of five. We have no means of income. I don’t understand what to do. I couldn’t understand if the wages were low because the prices of goods were low. But now there is no way to understand. Now even if you have a cup of tea in the shop, you have to pay 10 taka. It was 5 rupees six months ago. He said, we are not asking anyone for alms. Just want to evaluate our work.
Kamal Chandra Bunarji, President of the Juri Valley Committee of Tea Workers Union, said that a total of 36 plantations of Juri, Baralekha and Kulaura upazilas under their jurisdiction have been observed. This program will continue on Thursday, August 11. After that, according to the decision of the central committee of the organization, the next program will be taken.
The demand to increase from Tk to Tk 300 is a long time. The owner has already proposed an increase of Rs. If there is an increase of 14 taka, the wages of a worker will be 134 taka. How will the life of a worker with this 134 rupees? A liter of petrol won’t even cost you a whole day’s work. When asked about the demands of the tea workers, Chairman of Bangladesh Tea Parliament Md. Shah Alam told the media, “According to our capacity, the wages are 14 . Many gardens are lost. The tea market is not good. Now the price of fuel has also increased. Workers are given ration flour. The price of wheat has increased from Tk 14 to Tk 28 per kg. You have to think about these too.
Bangladeshi Tea Association Sylhet Branch Chairman and Finlay Tea Company General Manager (GM) Golam Mohammad Shibli said that the government has formed a wage board to determine the salary of tea workers. Discussions are ongoing. We have also talked about wage hike. He said that since the wage board was functioning, the sudden strike program by the workers was unwarranted.
