A section of tea planters and trade unions on Tuesday agreed to the annual bonus at a rate of 19 per cent amid questions over whether the deal would create fresh turmoil in the industry in north Bengal.

The agreement was reached during talks between the representatives of tea planters’ associations and trade union leaders in Calcutta. The bonus is to be paid to tea plantation workers before Durga Puja.

Last year, the planters had agreed to pay the bonus at 19 per cent.

Tuesday’s talks in Calutta stretched till 10.30pm. The trade unions insisted on the bonus at 20 per cent while the planters pleaded their financial incapability, a source said.

“Bonus will be paid at 19 per cent. We have managed to reach an amicable solution,” said Chinmoy Dhar, the chairman of the north Bengal branch of the Tea Association of India.

However, unlike earlier years, when an industrywide rate was finalised through bipartite talks, there were some changes which complicated the situation.

First, the management of Dalgaon, a tea estate in Alipurduar, has distributed the bonus at 20 per cent rate even before a decision was made through negotiations between planters’ associations and trade unions.

“Such a move by the tea estate has prompted the trade unions and a section of workers to exert pressure on other gardens and raise the demand for the bonus at a similar rate. Even senior trade union leaders are backing this demand,” said a tea planter based in Siliguri.

Second, two associations of tea planters — the Indian Tea Planters’ Association and the Terai Indian Planters’ Association (TIPA) — have abstained from the bipartite talks, unlike other associations.

“We have clearly mentioned that none of our member gardens has the financial capacity to pay the bonus at higher rates. As the trade unions are insisting on higher rates like 20 per cent, we have decided not to attend the bipartite talks,” said M.P. Bansal, the chairman of TIPA.

As both the associations have 60 to 70 gardens as members, it is not clear whether workers of those estates will accept a bonus, if the associations offer a lower rate than 19 percent.

“In fact, a number of workers in these gardens are irked over these associations’ decision to stay away from the meeting. There are indications that both associations will hold separate talks with the trade unions but some workers of their member gardens have already raised the demand for bonus at 20 percent rate,” said a trade union leader.

Like the plains, no decisions have been made in the hills on the bonus rate so far.

“Most gardens in hills are not in a position to pay bonus at 20 percent rate.
The trade unions should realise it,” said a representative of the Darjeeling Tea Association.