Tea workers continue strike for 7th day

Workers of tea gardens in Habiganj are continuing their strike for the seventh day, demanding an increase in their daily wages from Tk 120 to Tk 300.

Workers of tea gardens in Habiganj are continuing their strike for the seventh day, demanding an increase in their daily wages from Tk 120 to Tk 300.

Programmes like human chain, protest meetings and processions have continued inside the gardens.

On Wednesday, the Department of Labour arranged a tripartite meeting between owners of tea gardens and tea workers in Dhaka that ended after six hours without any agreement between the owners and workers.

On Thursday morning, thousands of women and men gathered in front of the Finley Tea factory in Sreemangal and protested by forming a human chain.

Nripen Pal, acting general secretary of the Bangladesh Tea Workers Union, said owners have agreed to give Tk 140 per day but we demand Tk 300. The movement will continue until their demand is met.

There are 41 tea gardens in nine upazilas of Habiganj district. About 1,50,000 people live in the gardens, of which 32,000 are workers.