The tea workers expressed anger at the leaders' decision to withdraw the strike accepting the proposed pay hike of only Tk25. COURTESY
Leaders of the protesting tea workers' union have agreed to call off their nationwide strike after receiving the assurance of daily wage increase by Tk25 to Tk145.
After a meeting with the Labour Department on Saturday (20 August), acting general secretary of the tea workers union Nipen Paul said they agreed to withdraw the strike for the time being on the assurance of the Prime Minister and all workers will join work from Sunday.
He said, "We are told that the Prime Minister will sit with us after coming back from her visit to India. We will place our demands before her during the meeting."
Meanwhile, the tea workers expressed anger at the leaders' decision to withdraw the strike accepting the proposed pay hike of only Tk25.
Defying the decision, they started chanting slogans in front of the divisional office of the Labour Department in Sri Mangal.
They said they will continue the strike until their demands including a wage hike to Tk300 per day are met.
Anjan Goala, a tea garden worker, said, "How can we call off the strike with a hike of Tk25 when we have a demand for Tk300 from the existing 120?"
He questioned how can a family survive with daily pay of Tk145 only.
Moulvibazar-4 lawmaker Abdus Shaheed, who was present at the meeting, said the Prime Minister is very cordial towards the tea workers.
"I am here today on her order. The tea garden owners wanted to increase the wages by Tk20. The Prime Minister herself has given instructions to increase by Tk5 more."
Abdus Shahid said that the Prime Minister will sit with the tea workers after her visit to India and discuss their demands.
Nahidul Islam, deputy director of the divisional Labor Department, said that the tea workers have withdrawn their strike. They will join work tomorrow (Sunday).
Meanwhile, the respective deputy commissioners will sit with the tea worker leaders of Sylhet and Habiganj this afternoon.
The workers of all the tea gardens in the country started an indefinite strike last Saturday demanding a daily wage of Tk300.
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