Tea workers vow not to withdraw strike

MOULVIBAZAR, Aug 25 (UNB): The workers of the country's 167 tea plantations, including 92 in Moulvibazar, continued their indefinite strike for the 16th day Thursday demanding that they are paid Tk 300-a-day wages instead of the current Tk 120.
On Thursday afternoon workers from Dewrachara, Premnagar, Majdihi ,Hamidia and some other tea gardens blocked Berir Par intersection of Dhaka-Moulvibazar regional highway and staged rally for around an hour to press for the pay hike.
The workers came to Moulvibazar sadar area from their repective gardens with protest processions, while workers in several other gardens also staged rallies.
The protesting workers said they will not withdraw their strike they launched on August 9 until the prime minister announces Tk 300 daily pay for them.
However, the district administration and police held meetings with Panchayet committees of the plantations in their continued bid to convince the workers to return to work.
The movement started on August 9, when workers from 241 tea gardens of the country abstained from work for two hours, demanding Tk 300 as daily wages. As their demand was not met, they decided to go on a full-scale strike from August 13.