Malnutrition grips tea workers, especially women, as wages fall short of basic food needs

The tea workers demanded Tk 30,000 in arrears for 20 months in line with the hiked wages that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked tea garden owners to pay in August last year

Historically, the tea industry in Bangladesh has been standing on the backbreaking labour of tea garden workers

“I didn't think I could come this far,” said a beaming Horibol Bonarjee, a student of Moulvibazar Government High School, who passed this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday (September 3, 2022) greeted the tea workers from the core of her heart for the bangles they gifted her during their visit to Gono Bhaban.

Tea workers may not have had their demands fulfilled, but their united voice brings in a new era of workers' rights.

Tea estate owners in Bangladesh yesterday said they suffered losses of up to Tk 20 crore per day during the recent 18-day protest by estate workers as significant amounts of tea were wasted for the work abstention. 

After a 15-day work abstention, tea workers resumed work for a daily wage of Tk 170 yesterday morning.

Tea workers have expressed mixed reactions to the daily wage set at Tk 170, following a meeting between tea garden owners and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Gono Bhaban.

The daily wage of tea workers has been fixed at Tk 170. Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Ahmad Kaikaus briefed the media after a meeting of tea garden owners with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Basanti Bauri, 40, of Moulvibazar works for a renowned tea estate as a “plucker”. Her day starts at 5:00am sharp. After paying homage to the family deity, she prepares food for her three children and husband.

Hundreds of tea workers blocked roads for hours at multiple points of Moulvibazar yesterday, the 12th day of their work abstention, to press home their demand for a daily wage of Tk 300.

Many tea plantation workers continued their protest yesterday, disregarding their union leaders’ agreement on the withdrawal of ongoing strike demanding pay hike.

In the best interests of the tea sector, tea garden owners and government functionaries should promote true trade unionism.

Acclaimed poet Nirmalendu Goon has demanded that the daily wage of tea workers be raised to Tk 300.

Tea workers, who were on an indefinite work abstention across the country for a pay hike, have decided to join work at the current daily wage of Tk 120.

Demanding a pay hike, tea plantation workers in Sylhet, Habiganj and Moulvibazar blocked the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at least for two hours yesterday.

Tea workers blocked the Sylhet-Moulvibazar highway and Moulvibazar-Borolekha road on the eighth day of their strike demanding Tk 300 daily wage.

The Department of Labour organised a tripartite meeting between owners of tea gardens and tea workers’ leaders yesterday. However, workers’ strike continued this morning as no agreement was reached regarding their demand for an increased minimum wage.

Demanding a pay hike, tea garden workers across the country yesterday went on an indefinite work abstention.