Moulvibazar tea workers on indefinite strike, confine manager

Thousands of tea workers in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar went on an indefinite strike this morning demanding immediate repair of their houses battered by recent storms and incessant rain.

“We will continue our demonstration until our demands are met,” Quoting Sitaram Bin, a central committee member of Bangladesh Tea Labour Union, our Moulvibazar correspondent reports.

Starting their agitation around 9:00am, the workers of Chaplapur Tea Garden confined the tea garden manager inside his office, our Moulvibazar correspondent reports quoting Makhan Bauri, president of Bangladesh Tea Labour Union's Chaplapur Tea Garden unit.

“Our houses have become totally damaged, we don’t have enough money to repair those,” Makhan said.

“We demand that the authorities repair our houses immediately,” he said.

The workers claimed that their houses became unlivable following the incessant rain and storms.

Besides, they demanded jobs of their children in the tea garden, increase the payment for harvesting per kilogramme of tea leaves from Tk 2 to Tk 5 and a hike in their daily allowance and provision of gratuity funds.

They were demonstrating in front of the manager’s office till 3:30pm when last reported.

“Their demands are not justified as they have paralysed the whole factory,” said Iftekhar Enam, manager of Chaplapur Tea Garden adding that there is almost 3,000 kilogrammes of tea leaves worth around Tk 60 lakh waiting to be processed and shipped but now who will take responsibility if the tea is damaged.