Bangladesh Tea Association has sent a rejoinder of a report titled "Tea Workers: Poorest of the poor" published in The Daily Star on May 19, 2018 which was followed by an editorial with the title "Living on Tk 85 a day" the next day.

In the rejoinder, Bangladesh Tea Association said tea workers' wages and other benefits are determined by the bilateral negotiations between the Bangladesh Tea Association and Bangladesh Cha Sramik Union (BCSU, the collective bargaining agent) since 1954.

In the rejoinder, they said it is not true that tea estates are paying only Tk 85 a day to the tea workers each. Actually the workers are being paid in cash and kind as per the bilateral agreement signed between BTA and BCSU.

In the rejoinder, the Bangladesh Tea Association stated a worker gets weekly Tk 595, which is basically wages for seven days at the rate of Tk 85 including his holiday.

In addition to cash wages, the tea workers are being provided homestead along with 370 square feet house, kitchen and sanitation, pure drinking water, electricity connection and also house repairing cost born by the management which is part of their wages.  So far the management has built 61,266 houses for the workers. The management provides religious facilities by making mosques and temples.  

There are more than one worker in each worker family in tea estates. For instance, husband, wife, son and daughter may work; even dependents of a worker may casually work in the tea estates.

The rejoinder also says a tea worker with three dependents gets total 42.5 kilograms of rice per month at a subsidised rate of Tk 2. The management spends Tk 1,548 for a worker for this purpose. Besides, the employers pay Tk 2,720 as festival bonus, the rejoinder adds.

Regarding the work leave, the rejoinder says the workers get 13 days annual leave with full pay, 20 days sick leave with full pay and 14 days festival leave. And also maternity leave for a period of 16 weeks are provided to the pregnant workers.

The management provides free agricultural equipment including plucking gamcha, chupi, umbrella, shoe and gumboot. Also, they are given Tk 350 for ligation with 14 days leave and Tk 300 for vasectomy with seven days leave.

The rejoinder signed by Dr Kazi Muzafar Ahmmed, secretary of the Bangladesh Tea Association, also states that the retired workers get ration in subsidised rate and housing facilities till their death.

OUR REPLY

This rejoinder does not contradict our story. The rejoinder just explains the other benefits provided to the workers by the employers.