Tea workers block roads demanding Tk 300 daily wage

[bluesky]

Tea workers block roads demanding Tk 300 daily wage

Tea workers blocked the Sylhet-Moulvibazar highway and Moulvibazar-Borolekha road on the eighth day of their strike demanding Tk 300 daily wage.

www.thedailystar.net

Tea workers block roads demanding Tk 300 daily wage​

Star Digital Report
Sat Aug 20, 2022 03:19 PM Last update on: Sat Aug 20, 2022 03:24 PM
Photo: Star
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Photo: Star
Tea workers blocked the Sylhet-Moulvibazar highway and Moulvibazar-Borolekha road on the eighth day of their strike demanding Tk 300 daily wage.
About 3,500 workers block the roads from 12:00 pm.

​

Biplob Madrazi, president of the Central Tea Workers Federation, told The Daily Star, "Our programme is going on for the eighth consecutive day across the country demanding a wage of Tk 300 per day."

Workers from Karimpur, Mathiura, Rajnagar and Itachara gardens took part in the programme, said he said

Tea worker Kalomati Roy, who took part in the programme, told The Daily Star this afternoon, "I have been in the movement since the morning after having a cup of raw tea and bread. We have to work like this every day with Tk 120 wage."

The tea garden workers on August 9, 2022, enforced a two-hour work abstention (9:00 am to 11:00 am) daily demanding a pay hike. After four days, the workers of 167 tea gardens went on indefinite work abstention

 

[rainbowrascal]

Absolutely fair demand.
120tk daily is nothing in present condition

 

[BananaRepublicUK]

Absolutely fair demand.
120tk daily is nothing in present condition

These workers get: free housing, health and other benefits.

Which is why they haven’t joined garments industry.

 

[fallstuff]

This is back breaking work out in the field all day, benefits don't put food on the table.

300 Taka/day is the least they should get paid considering recent price increases.

 

[Abu Shaleh Rumi]

Absolutely fair demand.
120tk daily is nothing in present condition

Free Land allocation, (which they can sell to others with company permission), free electricity, food rations and free basic health care.

To get all of above benefits only one member of the family have to work for the company. They get lots of NGO money and government money. Plus they're vote bank for BAL, this also brings them benefits.

Tea laborers live more secure life than 50% Bengalis...

 

[fallstuff]

Free Land allocation, (which they can sell to others with company permission), free electricity, food rations and free basic health care.

To get all of above benefits only one member of the family have to work for the company. They get lots of NGO money and government money. Plus they're vote bank for BAL, this also brings them benefits.

Tea laborers live more secure life than 50% Bengalis...

Exploited and marginalized, Bangladeshi tea workers speak up for their rights

Tea garden workers in Bangladesh, who are mainly women, are one of the most marginalized groups in the country, with limited access to education for their children and prone to dire health risks. A programme supported by the UN’s Joint SDG Fund, which funds initiatives focused on sustainable...

news.un.org

Can anyone provide sources for supposed benefits these workers receive ?

 

[fallstuff]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/assam-hikes-daily-wages-of-tea-garden-workers-by-27/article65753945.ece/amp/

 

[Abu Shaleh Rumi]

Exploited and marginalized, Bangladeshi tea workers speak up for their rights

Tea garden workers in Bangladesh, who are mainly women, are one of the most marginalized groups in the country, with limited access to education for their children and prone to dire health risks. A programme supported by the UN’s Joint SDG Fund, which funds initiatives focused on sustainable...

news.un.org

Can anyone provide sources for supposed benefits these workers receive ?

Yah, one of my brother is a Tea Estate manager.

 

[fallstuff]

Yah, one of my brother is a Tea Estate manager.

That is not exactly a source. I know folks who used to work for Duncan brothers as managers.

If there is any article or studies available online, a link would be great.

 

[bluesky]

Absolutely fair demand.
120tk daily is nothing in present condition

Now, I ask all the Londonwala kitchen boys, if the daily wages are only 120 Taka how do you guys claim BD is developing under Hasina Bibi? A country must build many places to work for its citizens and the wages must be able to feed and clothe them.

A few fancy projects by borrowing money from other countries are not a recipe for development. A country needs industries to economically develop and the present BD govt lacks the initiative to build them.

This has made unemployment high with reduced income for everyone. Tea workers are no exception.

 

[Bilal9]

Now, I ask all the Londonwala kitchen boys, if the daily wages are only 120 Taka how do you guys claim BD is developing under Hasina Bibi? A country must build many places to work for its citizens and the wages must be able to feed and clothe them.

A few fancy projects by borrowing money from other countries are not a recipe for development. A country needs industries to economically develop and the present BD govt lacks the initiative to build them.

This has made unemployment high with reduced income for everyone. Tea workers are no exception.

You are right I remember Dr. Salimullah Khan from Dhaka University, who is my favorite Bangladeshi academic, who said minimum wage is 8000 Taka.

 

[bluesky]

You are right I remember Dr. Salimullah Khan from Dhaka University, who is my favorite Bangladeshi academic, who said minimum wage is 8000 Taka.

A superficial increase in wages will cause inflation and will eat away the benefits of a wage increase. Minimum wages cannot just increase unless there are many jobs available and the workers add value to their produces.

Does BD have many mills and factories for value addition of electrical, mechanical, or electronic goods? I do not think so. It means the country is not developing and the wages will remain low.

Once the production factories are in place, wages in this sector increase and it pulls up wages in other sectors as well including the tea sector. Wages are interrelated.

 

[Indos]

That is not exactly a source. I know folks who used to work for Duncan brothers as managers.

If there is any article or studies available online, a link would be great.

Al Jazeera International make a coverage about it Today, you can try to check it.

Indonesia will likely raise its gasoline soon, there will likely be some increase in salary soon, may happen next year since our minimum wage policy is reviewed every year. For businesses that relies on logistic, they will likely adjust their product/services price this year.

BD with sudden 50 % fuel increase, will get huge impact and it is reasonable to increase the salaries. BD minimum wage is already very low compared to other developing nations.

 

[fallstuff]

BTA claims tea workers get Tk400 daily wages, other benefits

The association said benefits amounting to Tk175 per day were being provided to the workers to ensure social development

www.dhakatribune.com

I finally found some decent reads.

 

[BananaRepublicUK]

Now, I ask all the Londonwala kitchen boys, if the daily wages are only 120 Taka how do you guys claim BD is developing under Hasina Bibi? A country must build many places to work for its citizens and the wages must be able to feed and clothe them.

A few fancy projects by borrowing money from other countries are not a recipe for development. A country needs industries to economically develop and the present BD govt lacks the initiative to build them.

This has made unemployment high with reduced income for everyone. Tea workers are no exception.

Mistri Bhai,

Why bring everyone down to your level.

A level results came out this week and Sylheti Bangladeshis achieved astonishing results again.

We have a high number of kids going to elite universities.

Soon, there will be more elite university educated Sylhetis in the world than rest of BD put together

As you fully well know - both @UKBengali and I graduated from elite universities.

It’s true that most first generation British Sylhetis were as uneducated as you.

But instead of becoming mistris - they setup businesses and invented a new cuisine - that is now known as the British curry.