The majority of the Moulvibazar tea pickers reported back to work on Monday, satisfied with their new wage of Tk170 fixed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Even though the work began on Sunday, many plantation workers did not join as it was a weekend.
Tea pickers of Kalighat, Phulchara, and Satgaon, of Srimangal upazila were seen joining work in groups from 8am.
Sardar Narayan Bakti, a worker at Phulchara tea plantation said: “We started work on Monday. We all are happy with our new wage of Tk170. The only thing we want from the authorities is for casual workers to receive the same amount as well.”
The other tea workers at the Fulchara sections told Dhaka Tribune that the last 19 days had been difficult for them as they had no food at home. The children suffered as well, as they could only get rice once a day.
Another worker, Polly Kurmi, said: “I joined work on Monday. The tea leaves have gotten hard, it is difficult to pick them now.
She later mentioned that she feels bad as so many tea leaves were wasted in the last 19 days.
“I wanted to join work, but it is not possible to join alone as all of the other workers were protesting,” Kurmi added.
Kalighat tea garden President Avan Tati said: “All casual and permanent workers joined work today [Monday]. They are happy with the new wage, as they were seen singing and dancing in the tea gardens.”
Casual tea pickers want same wage
Even though Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has set Tk170 for tea pickers, it mostly applies to permanent workers.
Previously, casual tea workers got Tk85-90 a day, depending on owners.
So, the set wage has not been decided for these tea pickers.
Phulchhara tea workers on their way to work Dhaka TribuneIn this regard, Nripen Pal, general secretary of the central committee of the Bangladesh Tea Workers Union, said: “The contract mentions both permanent and casual workers will get a Tk170 wage. Now it depends on the owners on how much they will pay.”
On Monday, several casual tea pickers told Dhaka Tribune that they faced difficulties in the last 19 days during the protest, as they could not manage food.
The workers said they want the same wage as the permanent tea pickers.
On Saturday evening, the protesting tea workers across Bangladesh accepted the new daily wage of Tk170 fixed by the prime minister.
Confirming the matter to Dhaka Tribune, Nripen Pal, general secretary of the central committee of the Bangladesh Tea Workers Union, said: “We got what we wanted.”
The workers of the country’s 167 tea plantations, including 92 in Moulvibazar, held an indefinite strike demanding that they are paid Tk300-a-day wages instead of Tk120.
The movement started on August 9, when workers from 241 tea gardens in the country abstained from work for two hours, demanding Tk300 as daily wages.
As their demand was not met, they decided to go on a full-scale strike from August 13.