'Tea Workers Rights Council' in the offing demanding wage hike

A new organisation of tea garden workers is going to be formed amidst the ongoing protest demanding increase in the daily wage of the workers.

A discussion has been going on to form the organisation named ‘Cha-Sramik Odhikar Parishad (Tea Workers Rights Council)' rejecting the existing leadership of tea workers union.

A discussion meeting has begun at Kalighat tea garden in Sreemangal upazila of Moulvibazar at 1:00pm on Thursday.

Panchaet leaders and youth would be given priority in the committee of the new organisation.

Earlier, workers of Kalighat tea garden, Zerin tea garden, Longla tea garden, Gandhichhara tea garden, Hugli tea garden, Amrail tea garden, Bhurbhuria tea garden, Bharaura tea garden, Dakchhara tea garden, Khai Chhara tea garden, Laskarpur tea garden, Rajghat tea garden, Khejuri tea garden, Lakhai tea garden, Bilashchhara tea garden and other gardens joined the discussion called by Kalighat tea garden Panchaet president Obhan Tanti. Around three thousand people joined the meeting.

Several Panchaet presidents, who took part in the meeting, alleged that people’s representatives, garden owners and government officials are bent on foiling their protest demanding daily wage hike. The tea garden workers have completely rejected the stance of the central leaders of tea garden workers union. The union leaders asked them to stop their movement but they are now continuing their protests separately in different gardens.

The new organisation will help continue the ongoing movement, the Panchaet presidents said adding that fresh programmes would be launched with coordination of Panchaet of tea garden, tea workers and youths.

This correspondent called union’s central general secretary Nipen Paul for his comment on the new organisation but did not respond the calls.

Meanwhile, workers of all the tea gardens of Sreemangal upazila have abstained from work in the 13th day of strike. Tea workers of different gardens were seen protesting from the morning. Students of Khejuri Chhara tea garden boycotted class for two hours and held human chain and protest programme demanding Tk 300 daily wage for tea workers.

Tea workers started a two-hour work abstention a day demanding daily wage hike for four days since 9 August. The workers went on countrywide indefinite strike from 13 August. Although the Bangladesh Tea Workers Union called off the strike after meeting with the government, the general workers are continuing their strike.