Tea workers least paid in the country

Tea workers live a very miserable life as they are one of the least paid labourers in the country, said the speakers at a workshop in Sreemangal upazila headquarters of the district yesterday.

Increased wages and facilities can improve the life of workers, which will eventually raise their productivity and benefit the tea industry, they said at the workshop titled 'Tripartite workshop for promoting decent work in the tea plantation sector in Bangladesh'.

International Labour Organisation and Indigenous People Development Services (IPDS) jointly organised the programme.

“As per the latest provision, a tea garden worker doing the stipulated work from sunrise to sunset gets the daily wage of Tk 102 (US$ 1.22), which is much lower than that of Indian tea garden workers. Other benefits received by tea workers is also scanty,” said Rambhajan Kairi, general secretary of Bangladesh Tea Workers Union. 

Makhon Lal Karmokar, president of the union, said tea garden workers of Bangladesh are not able to consume food with sufficient nutrition.

“With their meagre earning, tea workers cannot improve their life. They cannot buy property and remain totally dependent on landowners. They are deprived of education, quality housing and health facilities. Having no other skills, they cannot escape from this life,” said Biqul Chakraborty, general secretary of Sreemangal Upazila Press Club.

Labour law is regularly violated at tea gardens and the workers remain isolated from the mainstream, said National Coordinator of ILO Alexius Chicham.

Speaking as chief guest, Secretary of Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry Md Nurul Amin laid emphasis on increasing the wages of tea workers and providing education to their children.

ILO Country Director Toumo Poutianen, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment Sakeun Nahar Begum, Moulvibazar Deputy Commissioner Tofael Islam, and Tahsin Ahmed Chowdhury, committee member of Bangladesh Tea Association, spoke on the occasion.