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

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

Nineteen days after they started a demonstration demanding daily wage of Tk 300, tea garden workers have joined work today (August 28, 2022) for daily wage of Tk 170.

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 Star 'Public Speaks'

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.

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.

Many tea garden workers last night vowed to continue their protests for Tk 300 daily wage, hours after they called off their strike following the prime minister's directives for raising their daily wage from Tk 120 to Tk 145.

Moulvibazar Deputy Commissioner Mir Nahid Ahsan has said the daily wage of tea workers has been increased from Tk 120 to Tk 145, on the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

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