Tea workers form human chain in Shahbagh, demand Tk 500 daily wage and land rights

The programme was held on Thursday (August 20) in Shahbagh on behalf of the tea community of Bangladesh.

Speakers at the rally said about 1.5 million tea community people have been living and working in the country's 170 tea gardens for a long time. Although the tea industry contributes significantly to the country's economy, tea workers, the main driving force of this industry, are still deprived of fair wages, education, healthcare, housing and land rights.

They said a tea worker's current daily wage is only Tk 187. During the price hike of essential commodities, it has become extremely difficult for workers to live on this wage. It was also mentioned at the rally that tea workers in neighbouring India get comparatively much higher wages.

The speakers further said most of the 170 tea gardens do not have adequate educational institutions. Many children have to walk several kilometres to reach school. There is a shortage of hospitals, doctors, medicines and necessary medical equipment in tea gardens. At the same time, most worker families live in very small rooms, making the housing crisis acute.

Regarding land rights, the speakers said although generations have lived in tea gardens, the ownership of the homestead land of workers has not been ensured. Due to lack of land documents, they face various problems in getting bank loans, constructing houses, and obtaining legal remedy against land grabbing.

The issue of violation of labour laws was also highlighted at the rally. The speakers claimed that although the law provides for issuing appointment letters and making workers permanent after three months of work, a large number of tea workers are not getting permanent status even after working for a long time.

11-point demand

The demands raised on behalf of tea workers include—

1. Fix daily wage of tea workers at minimum Tk 500.

2. Ensure land rights of the tea community.

3. Form a special monitoring cell to implement the provisions of issuing appointment letters and making workers permanent after three months under labour law, and take action against garden owners who violate the law.

4. Establish government primary schools in every tea garden and high schools, technical schools and colleges in tea garden areas.

5. Set up full-fledged government health centres in each tea garden cluster, ensure doctors, midwives, medicines and necessary equipment, and arrange safe drinking water supply.

6. Undertake special projects for building standard housing for tea workers and ensure electricity, drainage and sanitation.

7. Grant constitutional recognition to the 116 communities of tea gardens and establish a 'Tea Community Cultural Academy' to preserve their languages, culture, folk arts, festivals and heritage.

8. Allocate a separate budget in the national budget for the development of the tea community and form an independent monitoring committee to ensure accountability in the use of allocated funds.

9. Create opportunities for skills development and self-employment of unemployed youths, and establish a 'Tea Workers Development Academy' and form a separate ministry to solve the problems of tea workers.

10. Amend various sections and sub-sections of labour law that conflict with the interests of tea workers, strengthen the tea garden inspection system, and introduce special legal aid for workers.

11. Count and recognise the tea community separately in the national census so that their actual numbers, locations and needs can be assessed and included in development planning.

The rally called upon the government to take immediate effective steps to ensure fair wages and fundamental rights of tea workers.