Govt, tea garden owners conspiring to thwart workers' movement

The government and tea estate owners are least concerned about the lives and livelihood of the country's tea-labourers, although they have been living a measurable life for many years, said the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (SPB). 

"Instead, the government, tea estate owners, and their (management) employees, are conspiring to thwart the ongoing movement waged by tea workers," Bazlur Rashid Firoz, general secretary of the party said at a rally in front of the National Press club on Friday, in solidarity with the tea workers' movement.

He said, "The government and garden owners are delaying the discussion to foil the workers' movement demanding a wage increase, because they know that the workers' protest will last only a few days as the protesters have no choice but to join and go back to work to survive, for their livelihood."

"But it will no longer be allowed to happen this time. As long as the workers' movement continues, we will arrange langar khanas (where food and drink are given to the needy) to feed the workers if necessary," the SPB leader said. 

He said, "Tea workers are now asking for Tk300. After a few days, there will be a movement for Tk500 as there is no other way for tea garden workers to lead a normal life. The behaviour of tea estate owners amounts to slave driving, which is inhumane."

"Tea workers in India get Tk450-Tk500 in Bangladeshi taka. In our country, they get only Tk120. But all workers are not getting this amount. If he/she cannot pick tea leaves for a single day, they get less than Tk120.  Besides, it is only the highest-grade gardens that pay Tk120 wages to workers and lower-grade ones pay less than Tk120," he elaborated.

Urging people to make the 25 August hartal called by an alliance of leftist parties, a success, Bazlur Rashid Firoz said, "This vote-robbing government does not see the interests of the people. It has increased the prices of daily commodities, forcing 53% of the population in the country to reduce food consumption. They are now having one meal instead of the previous two." 

Socialist Party of Bangladesh leaders Zafar Hossain, Abul Kalam, Md Harunur Rashid, and others, spoke at the solidarity rally.