Tea workers in Habiganj strike for Tk 500 daily wage

Tea garden workers in the Habiganj district, specifically across Madhabpur and Chunarughat upazilas, have intensified their protests and ongoing work stoppages to demand a daily wage increase to Tk 500. The demonstrations are currently active across various locations, including the Chandpur tea garden, Baikunthapur tea garden, and Noyapara tea garden, alongside 18 different tea estates located within Chunarughat.

To press home their demands for better pay, the protesting tea workers have been staging a continuous series of work stoppages. According to the movement's schedule, workers have been walking off the job for two hours every single day, maintaining this form of industrial action for a total of eight consecutive days so far.

The central grievance of the workforce centers on the stark disparity between their current earnings and the rising cost of living. At present, tea labourers receive a daily wage of only Tk 187. This current rate was established following a sustained series of protests back in 2022, which resulted in the daily wage being increased by a mere Tk 50 to reach the current figure of Tk 187.

In response to the growing labour unrest, the tea garden owners' association has put forward a counter-proposal. The management side has offered to increase wages by a meager 5 percent. However, garden owners argue that the financial situation is tight, noting that the production cost for a single kilogram of tea ranges between 200 and more than 300 takas.

Amidst the ongoing deadlock, local participants have voiced deep frustrations regarding their daily living and working conditions. Speaking on the situation, Khairun Akhtar highlighted the severe hardships faced by the workforce, stating, "Despite ignoring sun and rain and working day after day, workers are not receiving fair wages." Akhtar also pointed out systemic deficiencies across the estates, adding that fundamental provisions such as education, healthcare, housing, safe drinking water, and medical services remain largely inadequate in many gardens.

The protests in Habiganj continue to draw participation from numerous labourers determined to secure a living wage. Alongside Khairun Akhtar, other individuals including Shamsul Islam Bhuiyan and Sohag Mahmud are associated with the unfolding developments in the region, as the standoff between the striking workers and the management persists across the affected tea estates.