Srimangal tea workers demand implementation of land rights
Photo Collected
On the occasion of the Great May Day, a gathering of tea workers was held at Srimangal in Moulvibazar. From the rally, the labor leaders raised various demands including implementation of land rights of tea workers.
This rally was organized by Balishira Valley of Bangladesh Tea Workers Union in the premises of Durga Mandir of Kharyaura Tea Garden of the upazila on Friday afternoon. Moulvibazar-4 Constituency Member of Parliament Md. was the chief guest in the rally. Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury.
Bangladesh Tea Workers Union Balishira Valley President Bijay Hazra spoke in the chair, Srimangal Divisional Labor Department Deputy Director Mohabbat Hossain, James Finlay Tea Company Chief Operating Officer Tahsin Ahmad Chowdhury, Bangladesh Tea Workers Union Vice President Pankaj Katha Kanda, Upazila Parishad former Vice Chairman Premsagar Hazra etc.
Ignoring the rain, thousands of laborers from different parts of Balishira Valley in buses, trucks and tractors gathered at the rented tea garden to join the rally. As the day progressed, the gathering place was crowded. Later, a discussion meeting was held at 3:30 p.m.
Speakers in the meeting said that workers are still deprived of land rights even though they have been living in tea plantations for about 150-200 years. They are living like nomads. The quality of health care in tea gardens is also very poor. The workers have been demanding their basic rights for a long time but it has not been implemented.
The speaker also said that the children of the workers should be given more education so that they can get better jobs in the future. There are not enough toilet facilities for women workers. Maternity leave is only four months, which is not enough. Raincoats are not provided to workers even if they work in rain. Due to lack of provision of sanitary napkins for women, they are facing various health risks. Even during pregnancy, workers have to bear all expenses from their own wages, resulting in lack of nutritious food.
In the president’s speech, Vijay Hazra said, “Every year on May Day, we present our demands, but they are not implemented.” We hope that the current government will take effective steps to fulfill our demands. There is no shelter for the workers working in the tea gardens. They suffer during storms and calamities. So he demanded the construction of a shelter quickly.
Chief Guest Member of Parliament. Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury said, ‘I have been working with the people of tea gardens for a long time. I personally cooperated before becoming a member of parliament, now I will work on government initiatives. I have already raised the issue of tea workers in Parliament several times. I will work for their development on behalf of the government.
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