Tea workers protest for renewal of contract and demand for payment of arrears

In the last two years, the Tea Association of Tea Workers Union signed a deal with the owners Association of Tea board. Each time the contract wages is increased to 15-16 taka. Under this agreement, the workers, salaries, wages, bonuses, and other benefits are given for two years.

But the owners did not renew the contract after 2015. At that time, the wage was fixed at Tk. 16 to 85Tk. it is still in that condition. According to the calculation, the contract expired in December 2007.

Tea workers in Sylhet have become angry after not being renewed in the one and half year. They have been involved in the movement to increase wages, renewal of the contract and demand for payment of arrears. Workers abstained in 22 tea gardens of Sylhet Valley yesterday morning in the call of Bangladesh Tea Workers Union. At this time, each garden was organized in different ways. The demand has been given from the rally to Tk 230 for wages. Workers have threatened indefinitely in the tea garden of the country if they do not accept the demand tomorrow.

Raju Goala, president of Sylhet Valley of Tea Workers Union, said they signed the contract in 2016 after six years. He demanded payment of Tk 115 per wager and renewal of the contract, until the new agreement was reached in January 2010. He said.

Shah Alam, vice-president of Tea board, has claimed that the draft is ready. The agreement can be renewed at any time. Regarding the agreement not being renewed timely, he said, it was not done for various reasons. They also had some problems.

Meanwhile, Mansoor Ahmad, manager of Sreepur tea garden, said, now the tea gardens are filled in the high season. During this time workers will be hampered in the movement.