Tea workers on strike
Tea workers in Kulaura upazila of the district went on an indefinite strike yesterday, demanding immediate repairing of their houses that were damaged by recent storms and incessant rain.
They also demanded jobs in the tea gardens for their children, increase in the payment for harvesting tea leaves from Tk 2 per kg to Tk 5 per kg, hike in their daily allowance and provision of gratuity fund.
Workers of Chatlapur Tea Garden confined the manager inside his office yesterday, said Makhan Bauri, president of Chatlapur Tea Garden unit of Bangladesh Tea Labour Union.
“Our houses have been totally damaged but we do not have enough money to repair those,” Makhan said. “We demand that the authorities repair our houses immediately,” he added.
Nepal Roy, 30, a worker of Chatlapur Tea Garden, said, “I have been working in this garden for the last thirteen years. I earn Tk 85 per day but the amount is too small to maintain my family. Our house collapsed due to rain and storm, but the authorities have not taken any initiative to repair it.”
Manager of Chatlapur Tea Estate Iftekhar Enam told this correspondent that the demands of the workers were illogical. There are around three thousand kilogrammes of tea leaves in the factory, but the workers have locked it, he said. He asked, “Who will bear the responsibility if the leaves get spoiled?”
They workers were demonstrating in front of the manager's office till 3:30pm when this report was filed.
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