Tea workers abstain from work over unpaid wages in Moulvibazar

Tea workers in eight tea estates under the National Tea Company Limited at Kamalganj upazila in Moulvibazar, refrained from work due to unpaid wages.

Despite an earlier agreement to resume work on Friday (December 6) after receiving overdue wages, the payment could not be processed as the Bangladesh Bank did not issue a no-objection certificate, delaying a loan from the Bangladesh Krishi Bank.

Shafiqul Rahman Munna, Deputy General Manager of the National Tea Company Limited, confirmed the development.

On December 1, a joint meeting was held at the Shreemangal Labour Department Office between the top leadership of tea workers and the National Tea Company’s management. The meeting, attended by the company’s Managing Director Syed Mahmud Hasan and other officials, along with leaders like Nipen Pal and Ram Bhajan Koiry from the Tea Workers Union, resulted in agreements addressing several demands:

1. Payment of two weeks’ overdue wages on December 5.
2. Monthly salaries for workers paid within the same period.
3. Regular salary disbursement for all employees.
4. Payment of one month’s salary for staff by December 20.
5. Avoidance of wage deductions for idle periods during the estate closures.

Additionally, it was agreed that the remaining arrears would be settled by March 2025 and the provident fund dues by April 2025. These commitments led the workers to promise to resume work.

Despite the promises, the inability to release funds on time has deeply disappointed the workers. Ram Bhajan Koiry, a former general secretary of the Bangladesh Tea Workers Union, criticized the situation as a mockery of the workers and called for immediate government intervention.

The prolonged suspension of work, spanning 12 weeks, has halted tea leaf collection, causing significant disruptions during the peak season. The National Tea Company’s 16 tea estates are reportedly facing severe financial losses amounting to crores of taka.
Deputy General Manager Shafiqul Rahman Munna expressed optimism that the situation might be resolved by Sunday or Monday if the bank loan is approved. Payment of overdue wages would enable workers to return to their duties, resuming normal operations in the estates.

The ongoing shutdown has placed the tea industry in a critical position, jeopardizing the financial stability of the government-controlled National Tea Company.