DC visits tea gardens, requests workers to join work
The tea garden workers continued their strike in Sreemangal of Moulvibazar on Tuesday, defying the decision of the tea-workers union’s central body.
They refrained from working at all tea gardens in Sreemangal for the 11th straight day.
Later, Moulvibazar deputy commissioner Mir Nahid Ahsan visited some tea gardens and requested the workers to join work, citing messages of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Moulvibazar superintendent of police Mohammad Zakaria, labour department’s deputy director Nahid Ahsan, Sreemangal upazila nirbahi officer Ali Rajib Mahmud accompanied the DC during the tea-garden visit.
They exchanged views with the tea workers and discussed why they refrained from joining work despite a decision between the tea-workers union and the district administration.
They talked to workers in Bharaura, Jerin, Kalighat, Phulchhara tea gardens. The workers of Bharaura and Jerin tea gardens have joined the work while the remaining ones are yet to take a decision.
Ovan Tanti, a leader of Kalighat tea garden workers, said they will join the work if the authorities declare their daily wage to be Tk 300.
“We have been in a movement for many days. We will not join the work suddenly without any decision. We will return to work right now if a daily wage of Tk 300 is declared. (If not,) our workers will continue the movement,” he added.
Deputy commissioner Mir Nahid Ahsan said they reached a good solution in a meeting with worker leaders on Sunday night. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will talk to them soon through video conferencing and fix a fair wage for them. The workers are eager to listen to the prime minister.
Regular activities resumed at some tea gardens in the districts from Tuesday morning. The Sreemangal workers are also interested to join the work, but some miscreants are holding them back and instigating them, the deputy commissioner said.
“We are requesting the general workers to join work. It is our responsibility to provide security to them, ” he added.