Chai Justice

15/01/2024

In December 2015, now eight years ago, the tea workers of Bangladesh organized a successful movement to stop a land grab scheme by the government of Bangladesh. Since 2016, I have been following this movement, and wrote on their successes, and what we can learn from their movement. Read here https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4020307

The interviews I took of key leaders were included in a digital archive called Chai Justice (chaijustice.com). During my research, interviews and meeting with workers, I came to meet Khairun Akther (see https://chaijustice.com/khairun-akter-tea-worker-chandpur-tea-garden/)

While the land rights for tea workers and rural workers are still undecided, and although the Prime Minister promised to give land rights to tea workers, in 2022, the movement engaged in another nation wide struggle for living wage. This struggle while increased the paltry wages of tea workers a little bit, it was still far below what workers demanded which was itself a small amount of $5 a day (500 taka)

For Jamhoor magazine I interviewed Khairun Akther on the update of the land movement and recent wage movement. You can listen/read to the interview here.

To follow this movement follow Chai Justice FB page (https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=chai%20justice)

https://www.jamhoor.org/read/i-am-a-tea-worker-and-i-have-the-right-to-speak

15/08/2023

https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/322419/tea-workers-daily-minimum-wage-raised-to-tk170

The government last week fixed a daily minimum wage of Tk170 per day for tea workers, according to a gazette notification. The wage for category-A garden workers has been set at Tk170 while it is Tk169 for category-B garden and Tk168 for category-C garden. In August last...

30/07/2023

A gathering for rights of tea workers in Bangladesh.

12/07/2023

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-66167808

Tea pickers have been allowed to continue with a Scottish court claim against James Finlay Kenya Ltd.

22/05/2023

Binota firmly believes that the increased representation of women in policymaking is essential.

"As the backbone of tea gardens, female workers far outnumber their male counterparts at the labourer level, yet their presence at the decision-making table remains negligible," she says.

From the humble confines of a mud wall house, where economic struggles cast their long shadows, emerges a woman who defies all odds and shatters gender norms.

29/04/2023

" Since its integration into the global trade market, that is, cheap, hyper-exploitable labor has been the foundation of the tea industry; any attempts to seriously and systematically address tea workers’ needs for living wages and humane treatment would threaten the structural integrity of the industry itself, as it currently exists. This, Besky explains, is why efforts to reform the industry, including the Plantations Labour Act of 1951, have only borne modest, if any, positive results. "

Workers at Darjeeling-area tea estates like Happy Valley in West Bengal, India, make under $3 a day.

02/11/2022

Land rights is an important issue for tea workers throughout South Asia. It is time for workers from Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh convene to demand changes in the industry.

28-member parliamentary standing committee submits report to Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha

02/11/2022

https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/tea-workers-will-be-given-rights-land-pm-489558

Niranjan Nath Montu, president of Bangladesh Tea Workers Union, Chattogram Valley, said, "Our long-standing demand was to get land rights. Today the prime minister also assured us that tea workers will have their land rights. We hope this announcement will be implemented soon."

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has assured tea workers, who have been landless for almost 150 years, of rights to their land. "Bangabandhu provided the tea workers' rights to vote, citizenship, and it cannot be that they remain landless. I will definitely provide them the rights to land," the prime mi...

12/02/2022

Documentary on tea workers. Chai Sramiker Katha (Tea Workers Story, Bengali) https://youtu.be/uZxXvufRXeA

Cha Srakimer Katha (The Story of Tea Workers) is a 43-minute documentary film on the tea workers of Bangladesh.

15/10/2021

1300 former tea pickers for Finlay have filed fresh suits against the multinational in Scotland seeking compensation for injuries suffered as a result of harsh working conditions.

https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/corporate/companies/claims-against-finlay-hit-sh2-6bn-new-suit-3583684

The fresh cases have pushed claims against James Finlay to Sh2.614 billion, even as the Kenyan courts hold the keys to a crucial inspection of farms where workers say they suffered injuries.

23/05/2021

"Brought to Sri Lanka by the British to work in tea estates located in the country’s scenic hill country, the Malaiyaha Tamil community’s history is one of braving discrimination and oppression through two centuries, till date. They were disenfranchised, rendered stateless, denied basic rights and yet, the 1.5-lakh estate workers, from the million-strong community, continue to toil in estates, fighting for fair wages and decent living conditions." https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/enjoy-enjaami-a-welcome-start-say-sri-lankas-malaiyaha-tamils/article34623589.ece

‘A spark’ that could lead to greater awareness of Tamil community’s struggles

21/05/2021

In 1921, 30,000 tea workers left their workplaces, protesting against the inhumane working conditions and torture at the hands of British owners. Workers marched in a desperate attempt to journey back home to the lands of their origin -- Bihar, Odisha and Assam. But when they reached the Meghna ghat, the then police opened fire on the protesters. Many of the workers were killed, and their bodies were thrown into the river.

https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/100-years-forgotten-tragedy-2095381

These days, Shamnarayan Goor doesn’t do much other than sitting on the porch of his hut and watching the day go by, over the hilly terrain of Lungla Tea Garden in Sylhet.

11/04/2021

I hope this group to be a place where workers across South Asia can be in solidarity with tea and agricultural workers. A call for support for 42 tea workers in Sri Lanka whose employment have been terminated and criminal offenses filed.

https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/altonestate

Weʼre raising money to support tea plantation workers of Alton Estate, Maskeliya, Sri Lanka who were sacked and charged with criminal offences. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.

21/02/2021

"Jaharlal Pandey Induar, 65, of Sreemangal's Mangrabasti, said that as a tea workers' family, they are always under financial stress. "We do not have enough time to give for our own language." https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/news/the-last-the-kharia-speakers-2048329

Since her husband Abrahm Soreng died two years ago, 70-year-old Veronica Kerketa doesn’t get the chance to talk in her mother tongue at home. None of her children or grandchildren speak the Kharia language.