Negotiations over bonus in the Darjeeling tea industry are set to shift from the hills to Calcutta next month but the venue and date of the meeting have put the union leaders in a spot of bother.

Saman Pathak, former Rajya Sabha MP and Citu leader, said the Bengal labour department has fixed the next meeting on bonus in Calcutta. “We received a letter on Saturday afternoon stating that a bonus meeting would this time be held in Calcutta on November 6,” said Pathak.

The first round of meeting between the trade unions and the management was held in Darjeeling. Following a stalemate, the management approached the labour department to facilitate the meeting, which was then held in Siliguri. Following five rounds of meetings in Siliguri, the labour government issued an advisory to the tea gardens to pay a bonus at the rate of 16 per cent of the worker’s annual earnings. The unions, however, want 20 per cent.

While most of the tea gardens have transferred bonuses at the rate of 16 per cent, a section of workers have refused to join work and are demanding the additional four per cent. The unions again approached the labour department to intervene.

“Now with the meeting being called in Calcutta on November 6, union leaders have again decided to sit for a meeting in Darjeeling on Sunday to chart the next course of action,” said Pathak.

Union leaders have admitted in private that the date has left them in a catch-22 situation.

“We cannot tell the workers to join work as they are protesting but then again they too cannot refrain from work for a month until the next meeting as they will not be paid. Some workers do need the wages desperately,” said a union leader.

Also, during the meeting in Siliguri, a large number of agitators had gathered outside the venue and shouted slogans to put pressure on the management to agree on a higher rate. The union leaders had earlier announced that they would demonstrate before the Shramik Bhawan in Siliguri on Monday but are yet to decide whether to go ahead with the plan following the finalisation of the meeting date and venue.

Many believe that by crediting 16 per cent of the bonus online, the management has been able to take the wind out of the union’s sail. “The meeting, which has now been scheduled after a month, has further complicated the situation for the protesters,” said an observer.

The Darjeeling tea industry employs around a lakh workers.