The Daily Star | May 22, 2021
Speakers suggest integrating tea workers into mainstream; International Tea Day observed
A worker collects tea leaves at a garden in Habiganj. Photo: Star/ Star Reort
“There is poverty in every sector, but tea workers suffer the most as they’re geographically confined due to several reasons. They must be integrated into the mainstream,” said Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud, an eminent economist, yesterday.
He was speaking as chief guest at a discussion titled “Protection of Tea Workers: Challenges and Accountability of Actors.” The virtual discussion marking International Tea Day was organised by Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD) in partnership with Bangladesh Cha Sramik Union. It was supported by Canada Fund for Local Initiative.
Prof Wahiduddin said, “Workers of other sectors are part of the common society. But the isolation of tea workers leaves them particularly deprived.” “The tea industry is mostly private and relies on productivity and profit, which must be increased at all times. During negotiation of wages and other terms, these business owners should be transparent,” he said.
He urged Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics to prepare a statistical report on the industry that will assist policies. Philip Gain, director of SEHD, presented the keynote paper while Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), chaired and facilitated the dialogue.
In the keynote paper, Gain mentioned tea workers are being deprived by the labour law, while women workers are suffering the most. They have substandard quality of living and there is a lack of health and education facility, he said. He also mentioned in the paper that the tea workers have no right to land and are not able to get the benefits of the government’s social safety services.
Gain also stated that the wage of tea workers in cash is Tk 120 per day along with ration and other facilities. Workers say the value of these facilities and ration is Tk 200. So their total wage comes to Tk 320, he said. But Bangladesh Tea Association estimated that to be Tk 378.91 in a report to Wage Board in 2019, he said.
KM Abdus Salam, secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment; M Shah Alam, chairman of Bangladesh Tea Association (BTA); Khushi Kabir, coordinator of Nijera Kori, and Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed, VC of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, were present as guests of honour.
Leaders of Cha Sramik Union and Trade Union Centre also participated as discussants. Tahsin Choudhury, convener of labour and welfare sub-committee of BTA, also participated. Prof Tanzimuddin Khan of Dhaka University and member of SEHD gave the vote of thanks.
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