Workers of three tea gardens and a factory under Burjan Tea Estate in Sylhet on Wednesday agreed to join work on Friday after receiving assurances from the authorities that their wage arrears and allowances would be paid.
Sylhet deputy commissioner Mohammed Sher Mahmud Murad told journalists that before resuming work, the workers would be paid one week鈥檚 wage and food allowance out of the 20 weeks鈥� wage arrears on Thursday.
The workers鈥� leaders also assured the authorities of joining work on Friday morning if they were paid the wage arrears and allowances.
The deputy commissioner said that the decisions were taken at a meeting between the protesting workers鈥� representatives and Bangladesh Tea Board chair Major General Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain held at the office of the district administration in the morning.
鈥楤angladesh Tea Board chairman came in Sylhet only to resolve the tea workers鈥� issues,鈥� he added.
Sylhet Sadar upazila nirbahi officer Khoshnur Rubaiyat told reporters at noon that the Tea Board chair assured them of taking effective steps to meet the demands.
She said that a decision to pay the garden workers鈥� one week鈥� due wage for the time being was taken at the meeting.
鈥楢t present, the tea companies and Bangladesh Tea Board will pay Tk 10 lakh,鈥� the UNO said, adding that remaining wage arrears and food allowances would also be paid gradually.
Emerging from the meeting, Burjan Tea Garden workers鈥� leader Sohag Chhatri told journalists that it was possible now to reach a solution.
鈥榃e are expecting that all workers of Burjan, Kalagul, and Chharagang tea gardens and Burjan Tea Estate Factory will join work on Friday,鈥� he said.
Earlier on Sunday, around 2,600 workers of the three tea gardens and a tea processing factory of the Burjan Tea Estate blocked Sylhet Airport road at Malnichhara Tea Garden area in the city to press home their 11-point demand including payment of their wages and allowances pending for more than 20 weeks.
Later in that afternoon, the protesting tea garden workers withdrew the road blockade after the local administration assured them of taking steps to meet their demands.