THIS is unacceptable that the state-owned National Tea Company has not paid tea workers their wages for six weeks. The workers of 16 tea plantations of the Company have been on strike since October 21. Workers at the Madhabpur garden held protests at the main gate of the Madhabpur tea plantation at Kamalganj, Moulvibazar on October 24 and expressed their disappointment about not being paid their wages. Tea workers are one of the marginalised and deprived groups of workers and get even hardly a survival wage. No wage for six weeks has only exacerbated their situation. This is not the first time that the workers of the state-owned tea company have had to face such delayed wage payment. In the first week of September, the tea workers took to the streets, demanding their wages unpaid for three weeks. The tea company made the headlines a number of times for wrong reasons in the recent past. Workers complain that the company often suspends worker鈥檚 ration and their access to treatment. The health centres do not often have medicines. In addition, for 15 months, access to their provident fund has also been restricted.
While tea worker leaders say that they would go for tougher programmes unless arrears were immediately paid, the authorities seek to explain that the pending restructuring and reconstitution of the board of directors have caused the delay in wage payment as it is unable to get bank loans. The authorities are reported to have also explained that the board would be reconstituted soon and they would pay the wages. Denying the workers their due wage for bureaucratic reasons for weeks is unacceptable and the government should take action to resolve the crisis. The irregular payment of wages and employment benefits is, rather, characteristic of the tea industry. In March, tea workers of the Kuchai tea garden in Moulvibazar abstained from work over the announcement of a reduced festival allowance. In July 2023, workers at Imam and Bhabani Tea Garden went on strike with five-point demands that included the payment of their wage and festival allowance, the reimbursement of the provident fund and their house rent and medical allowances. Tea workers also do not receive 5 per cent of the net profit of the previous year of the company that they work for, in keeping to the labour law and the Workers鈥� Welfare Foundation Act. Besides and above all, the daily wage of Tk 170 for tea workers is inadequate amidst unprecedented food inflation.
The denial and non-payment of entitled dues of tea workers appear to have become part of the culture in tea gardens. The government should, therefore, address the issue, take initiatives to protect the rights of tea workers and set a living wage for them. The National Tea Company should immediately pay the workers their dues in arrears.
