Tea Labours in Habiganj Continue Strike for Wage Hike

The labours of 23 tea gardens in Habiganj's Lashkarpur Valley are pressing ahead with their strike to secure an increase in their daily wage from Tk 120 to Tk 300 a day.

Labours rallied at Chunarughat Upazila's Chanpur Tea Plantation on Monday and launched a protest march around 10:30 am to reiterate their demand for a pay rise.

"We have been demonstrating since the morning. Workers from different tea estates joined us. We will continue to demonstrate until the daily wage is raised to Tk 300," said Khairun Akhter, president of a group representing women tea plantation labours.

She hit out at labour leaders for striking an agreement with tea estate owners 'under the cover of night' and asking workers to go back to the plantations for Tk 120 a day. "Ordinary workers demand that the leaders come up to them and tell them to return to work. But they are not facing the labours."

Earlier on Monday, Habiganj Deputy Commissioner Ishrat Jahan promised the workers of 23 tea gardens in the Lashkarpur Valley that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would virtually address their demands before the Durga Puja holiday. But the labours were not swayed by the assurance.

On Tuesday, representatives of the disgruntled labours said they would announce a decision on whether the strike would continue after a discussion with Tea Garden Panchayat Committee leaders in the afternoon.

"Labour leaders reached an agreement with the Moulvibazar district administration in the dark of night without informing us. So the workers are angry,” said Chanpur Tea Garden Panchayat chief Sadhan Santal.

Asked about the matter, Nripen Pal, acting general secretary of Bangladesh Tea Labours Union, said, “A group is making these allegations to create instability. I hope to discuss the issue with the panchayat leaders of Habiganj's Lashkarpur Valley and get the workers back to work."_bdnews24