The workers of Imam Tea Garden and Bhawni Tea Garden in Nabiganj upazila under Habiganj continued their indefinite strike for fourth consecutive day to press home their five-point demand including immediate payment of their due wages.
The garden authorities attended a meeting on the day held in the Habiganj deputy commissioner office and admitted to the district administration that they would pay a portion of the workers’ arrears within Sunday.
But the workers said that they would continue with their infinite strike until their demand had been met.
The five-point demand includes payment of their due wages and festival allowances, reimbursement of the provident fund, ensuring their house rent and medical allowances.
Subhas Rabidas, acting general secretary of Bangladesh Cha Shramik Union’s Balishiri Valley, also known as Habiganj Valley, said that the district administration officials informed the leaseholders of the gardens to immediately pay the workers’ salaries.
Habiganj deputy commissioner Devi Chanda said that if the garden owners failed to pay arrears of the workers, the administration would not take any responsibility of the garden owners.
Subhas mentioned that GK Mahiuddin Chowdhury Ratan, chairman of Imam and Bhawani tea gardens, agreed to pay a portion of the arrears within Sunday.
The worker leader, however, claimed that they would withdraw their indefinite strike after receiving the payment on Sunday.
Habiganj deputy commissioner Devi Chanda, additional deputy commissioner (revenue) Md Rafuqul Islam, and Nabiganj upazila nirbahi officer Imran Shahrear, among others, were in the meeting.
