Low wage frustrates chatal workers
Around five thousand labourers working in 350 chatals (concrete floor for drying paddy) in the district are frustrated due to low wage for their dawn to dusk work.
“We join our work at dawn for boiling paddy and then we remain busy the whole day for drying the crop. Twelve to fifteen labourers work together in each chatal, but our wage is insufficient compared to the work,” said Nur Islam, 48, a chatal labourer at Durakuti village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.
“Our job isn't regular as we get job during sunny days but remain idle during rainy or cloudy days,” said Ramesh Chandra Barmon, 42, another chatal labourer at the same village.
“Our daily wage of Tk 300 is too insufficient to maintain the family. But we dare not demand a raise in fear of losing the job,” said Nizam Uddin, 45, at Saptibari village of Aditmari upazila.
“Even when we fall sick, we do not get support for treatment from employers,” said Nehadul Islam, 38, another chatal labourer at the same village.
“Due to hardship, sometimes we have to take money from chatal owners on condition selling our labour in advance,” he added.
Taking the advantage of availability of labourers, the chatal owners deprive them, said Maniruzzaman Manir, general secretary of Bangladesh Sangjukta Sramik Federation's Lalmonirhat district unit.
“We are working to unite chatal labourers for raising their voice to increase their wage. We are also exchanging views with the chatal owners for paying fair wage to labourers,” he said.
Hamidul Islam, a chatal owner at Saptibari village in Aditmari upazila, said there is no shortage of labourers in the area and many labourers are interested to work in the chatals for daily wage of Tk 300.
Another chatal owner Pappu Miah at Uttar Saptana village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila said he provides help, including financial support for medical treatment, to his labourers.
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