Tea workers strike in Sylhet, production halted

The tea workers from the National Tea Company (NTC) have continued their strike, demanding the payment of seven weeks’ unpaid wages and 13 months’ overdue Provident Fund (PF) contributions.

As part of the strike, hundreds of workers from Lakkhatura, Kewachra, and Daldali tea gardens formed human-chain and staged protest in front of Lakkhatura tea estate on Monday (November 4).

Concerned sources said that around 12 factories owned by the National Tea Company (NTC) are closed due to the strike. As a result, the production of tea is halted.

Mainly due to loan complications from the Agricultural Bank, the wages of the workers turned into arrears. On the other hand, such a situation has been created due to the delay in the formation of the Board of Directors of the Tea Board.

Raju Goala, president of the Tea Workers Union in Sylhet Valley, claimed that thousands of workers have entered their 16th consecutive day of strike. The owners are not paying wages to the workers citing several reasons.

Following the issue, legal advisor of NTC-owned Lakkatura tea garden, Advocate Abul Hasnat Md. Zafar Chowdhury said that they are trying to solve the problem soon.