Workers under National Tea Company Ltd in Sylhet, including those from Lakkatura tea garden, have begun an indefinite strike demanding their overdue wages.
The workers of 16 tea gardens under the NTCL began their strike at 11:00am Tuesday, after the decision to enforce the strike was taken on Monday following a meeting between workers and leaders of Bangladesh Tea Workers Union.
Workers said that they had not received five weeks鈥� wages, and threatened not to return to work until their overdue wages were paid amid severe hardship.
The Bangladesh Tea Workers Union said that the National Tea Company run 16 tea gardens across the country with around 17,000 workers.
The livelihoods of some 30,000 people depend on these workers.
Expressing concern over the arrears, Krishnalal Deshwara, president of the Panchayat committee at Padmachara tea garden in Kamalganj, said that the workers had no food at home. They were struggling immensely. 鈥楬ow can they work on an empty stomach?鈥�
Bangladesh Tea Workers Union extended their support to the programme, said the union鈥檚 acting general secretary Nipen Pal.
Emdadul Haque, general manager of the NTCL, said that they were making every effort to pay the workers.
However, issues in obtaining loans from Bangladesh Agricultural Bank had arisen due to the incomplete restructuring of their board, he said.
The general manager hoped that a complete board would be formed soon, allowing them to pay the workers鈥� wages.
