Wages unpaid for three weeks at four tea gardens in Habiganj, Moulvibazar

 
Around 15,000 workers at four tea gardens under Deundi Tea Company in Habiganj have gone without wages for three weeks, leaving their families, including children and elderly members, struggling to meet their basic needs.

On Sunday afternoon, workers from Deundi, Lalchand, Noapara and Mrittika tea gardens formed a human chain in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office, demanding payment of their outstanding wages and other benefits. 

According to the memorandum, each worker is owed Tk 4,000, with the total outstanding wages of workers at the four gardens amounting to around Tk 6 crore.

The memorandum also stated that contributions to the workers' provident fund from both the workers and the owners had not been deposited for 47 months, depriving workers of their long-standing entitled benefits.

Habiganj Deputy Commissioner Dr GM Sarfaraz told The Asian Age that he would discuss the matter with the higher authorities and take necessary measures to resolve the crisis.

He said workers' outstanding wages should be paid before their sweat dries, stressing the need for prompt payment. Questioning why such a situation had arisen, he said he would soon sit with the concerned authorities to discuss the issue and find a solution.

Meanwhile, when contacted about the unpaid wages and benefits of tea workers, workers' unrest and the human chain, Deundi Tea Company Manager Md. Riaz Uddin said the company was facing difficulties as banks were not providing loans.

He said the company had been receiving bank loans since 2017, but its tea estate had suffered various forms of damage, including a fire at the factory. He alleged that the bank had not visited the estate or discussed these problems with the company. However, he said the company was making efforts to resolve the crisis as soon as possible.

On the other hand, Noapara Tea Estate Acting Manager Md. Sohag Ahmed said the payment of workers' wages and benefits for three weeks remained outstanding. He said the management had sought additional time from the workers and that the company was trying to arrange payment at the earliest.

Dulal Ghosh, general secretary of the tea workers' panchayat and a union parishad councillor, warned that the workers would launch tougher programmes if their demands were not met promptly.