Tea Workers\' Convention in Sylhet Demands Wage Increase, Ration, and Land Rights

A Tea Workers' Convention, organized by the Central Committee of the Tea Workers' Unity, was held in Sylhet on Sunday at 3 PM at Shahid Suleman Hall, focusing on an 11-point demand charter.

The convention, chaired by Ajit Roy, President of the organization, and moderated by General Secretary Bachan Kalowar, featured discussions by notable figures including Emad Ullah Shahidul Islam Shaheen, former President of the Sylhet District Bar Association; Masud Rana, Coordinator of the Central Executive Forum, BASAD (Marxist); Manas Nandi, President of the Bangladesh Workers and Employees Federation; Sajal Chhatri; journalist and poet Sanjay Kanta Das, Coordinator of BASAD (Marxist) Sylhet District Organizing Committee; Sabuj Tati, President of the Tea Workers' Trade Union Center; Hridyesh Mudi, Convener of the Bangladesh Tea Workers' Movement; Ratilal Nayek, President of Burjan Tea Garden; Arun Bunarjee, President of Lalakhal Tea Garden; Saidul Islam Suhel; Sushen Kurmi; Shyamal Baraik; and Lipi Ganju, among others.

Prior to the convention, a procession marched through the city's key streets, culminating at Shahid Suleman Hall to join the event.

Speakers at the convention highlighted that the July mass uprising had raised hopes for an equitable society, with proposals for multifaceted democratic reforms in the state and society. However, they expressed disappointment that the tea gardens have seen little impact from these changes. They noted that despite changes in government, the lives of tea workers remain unchanged. Currently, a tea worker earns a daily wage of only Tk 178.5, which is insufficient to sustain a family's basic needs, let alone cover education or healthcare. The speakers demanded a daily wage of Tk 600, considering current market prices, along with a comprehensive ration system including rice, pulses, oil, and sugar.

Criticizing the 2023 Gazette as anti-worker, the speakers called for its repeal. They highlighted the dire state of education and healthcare in tea gardens, noting that none of Sylhet’s 23 tea gardens have a government primary school, and healthcare facilities are severely inadequate, lacking MBBS doctors, trained nurses, or midwives. The absence of ambulances prevents timely hospital transfers, and maternity leave for women workers is limited to just four months. Medical centers, where available, are largely ineffective. Furthermore, despite living on tea garden land for 180 years, workers lack legal land rights.

The speakers raised concerns about ongoing land grabs in tea gardens and the emergence of resorts, tea tourism, rubber plantations, and other projects, which threaten the tea industry and workers' livelihoods. They demanded the reopening of closed or struggling tea gardens through government initiatives, legal land rights for workers, and the elimination of discriminatory labor law provisions. Additional demands included permanent employment for temporary workers, stopping weight-based fraud in tea leaf collection, double wages for plucking tender leaves, and an end to corruption in provident fund disbursements.

The convention concluded with a plan to build a movement to address the systemic deprivation faced by tea workers.