Shahriar Bin Wares writes for DOT
Tea – one of the most profitable plants in Bangladesh – its growth is not a new phenomenon. Bangladesh produced 85 million kilograms of tea in 2016, which might be considered as the highest in the country’s history. According to a study report conducted by ILO published in 2016 on ‘Working Conditions of Tea Plantation Workers’ there are 164 tea gardens in Bangladesh today in seven districts. Tea is cultivated on 115,757 hectares of land. A total of 359,085 people live in tea garden areas, including 89,812 registered workers and 19,592 casual workers working in the tea gardens.
However, in present, the higher productivity and noticeable profitability in tea plantation never match with the poor tea-workers life style in Bangladesh. But why? We all are familiar with May Day or International Workers’ Solidarity Day. Perhaps, many of us might not familiar with the tea- workers Day. Many of them don’t even know the ‘Tea-Workers Day’ exist along with a history.
The British oppression and the “Mulluke Cholo” Revolt
On account of inhumane working conditions and torture by the British owners, tea-workers had left their workplace in Sylhet region and joined a protest “Mulluke Cholo” (Let’s go back home). On May 20 of 1921, around 30,000 tea workers started walking towards the Chandpur-Meghna Ghat. The Assamese police opened fire on the protesters. As a result, many workers were killed and injured.
The present conditions of the tea-workers of Bangladesh
Almost a century has passed but the horrible working conditions and torture didn’t come to an end. Hence, their life style has not been changed. They are neglected, illiterate, and socially excluded because of their languages and cultures. Around 75% of the tea-workers in Bangladesh are women. Furthermore, the deprived tea-workers are not capable to meet their basic needs properly. As a result, they have to go to bed half-fed and lacking habitation, sanitation facilities. This is a common scenario for every single family there.
Depriving Education for Tea-workers Children
According to Labor Law 2006, Chapter eighth, section-95(B) – Where the number of children in the age of six to twelve years of any tea garden is above twenty-five, then in the case of making rules, the owner can order the owner thereof, and in the manner specified in the rules and arrange for the opportunities for the children; However, the garden authorities are not fulfilling their rights, instead authorities are violating the Labor law.
How much do tea-workers actually get paid?
All their sufferings can be summed up to one problem – Low wages, Tk 80-90 a day. Generally a farm worker earns Tk 300 daily, which is three times higher than tea-workers’ wages, even though both (farm workers and tea workers) fall under the definition of workers.
According to Bangladesh Labor Act 2006, section-2(65)-‘Worker’ means any person including an apprentice employed in any establishment or industry, either directly or through a contractor, to do any skilled, unskilled, manual, technical, trade promotional or clerical work for hire or reward, whether the terms of employment be expressed or implied, but does not include a person employed mainly in a managerial or administrative capacity”.
Ensuring the minimum wages for the workers is always a huge concern in the perspective of Bangladesh. The tea-workers have been demanding for a long time to make a raise on their income but their calls and demands almost always went unheard. Six years back, their daily wage stood at Tk 55 while they demanded Tk 120 at the time. In 2018, they wanted their income to be fixed at Tk 300. A year has been passed but their minimum wages have not been ensured.
Breaking the unseen shackle of the tea-workers deprived life
Many years have been passed since the British had left, but the owners of the tea gardens couldn’t come out from the brutal tradition of the British rulers. The owners are continuously oppressing and depriving tea-workers. So it could be said that they are the most deprived among all types of workers in Bangladesh.
It is worth mentioning that it is high time to fulfill their legal demands and ensuring minimum wages for breaking the unseen shackle of their poorest of the poor. In this circumstance, the role of the “Cha Sramik Union” could not take off effectively without the effective and pragmatic steps by the Ministry of Labor, Government of Bangladesh and the Minimum Wage Board. Besides, the so-called ‘captive’ laborers deserve special attention of the state and the people of the general community.
The writer is a student at the Department of Law,North South University.
Our time is a news portal