Workers of two Srimongal tea gardens on strike

Production at two tea gardens in Srimongal upazila remained suspended for the second consecutive day as the 'indefinite' strike enforced by the labourers continued yesterday.
The workers of Jagchhara Tea Garden of the James Finley Tea Company called the strike on Tuesday demanding removal of the garden manager Javed Ashraf and assistant manager Golam Faruk.
Poresh Kalindi, a tea garden labour leader and also the member of Kalighat Union Parishad under the upazila, said the labourers have been cultivating lemon, banana and other fruit trees on the barren lands of the tea garden for long.
On January 24 this year, the manager uprooted the trees. Aggrieved by the incident, the workers vandalised the residential quarter of the assistant manger and called the strike, said Poresh, adding that Javed Ashraf always mistreated with the workers.
The labour leader also said they will continue the strike until the demand is met.
Later, the workers of nearby Sonachhra Tea Garden of the same company extended their support to the strike and started work abstention.
The agitating workers said they were paid only Tk 35 as daily wage against the promised amount of Tk 48.
Contacted, the manager said some labour leaders instigated the general workers to ransack the residence of Golam Faruk and go on strike.
Md Abdullah, officer in-charge of Srimangal police station, said additional police have been deployed in the area to avert further trouble.