The Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union (TCBSU) has written to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, requesting her to provide some ex-gratia to workers of closed tea estates of the Dooars ahead of the upcoming festive season.
In the Dooars, 13 tea estates are closed now. While nine of these are in Alipurduar district, four are in the neighbouring Jalpaiguri district.
“Around 10,000 workers are sitting jobless in these tea estates. Unlike workers of open gardens, they will not receive any bonus ahead of Durga Puja. That is why we have sent a letter to the chief minister, requesting her to see if some financial assistance can be handed over to them,” said Nakul Sonar, the chairman of TCBSU.
He said that in 2023, the Bengal government had provided an ex-gratia of ₹1,500 to each worker of seven closed gardens.
In closed tea estates, workers receive free food grains from local ration shops, along with monthly assistance of ₹1,500 under the FAWLOI (Financial Assistance to Workers of Locked-out Industries) scheme of the state labour department.
“As of now, workers of seven gardens in Alipurduar get this aid. Workers of the other two gardens (Mahua and Toorsa) which have recently closed down, are yet to get it,” said a trade union leader.
He said workers in these closed gardens make meagre earnings by plucking tea leaves sold by committees formed in the gardens. “The daily wage they get is a pittance, say around ₹50, one-fifth of the official wage rate. Others do odd jobs like assembling sand and stones in river beds for companies which have taken the river beds on lease,” the leader added.
A Left leader scoffed at both the TMC and the BJP for the plight of closed garden workers.
“The Trinamool government in Bengal or the BJP government at the Centre are hardly concerned about the tea workers and their families. They did nothing to facilitate the reopening of the closed gardens. Now, a section of TMC leaders are trying to get doles for workers for their political interests,” said Bikash Mahali, the Citu secretary of Alipurduar district.
Bonus rally on cards
Nine tea unions from Darjeeling hills cutting across political affiliations have proposed a “massive” rally in Darjeeling town on Friday to press for early talks on bonus of 20 per cent of the workers’ annual earnings.
The unions have also decided to continue holding gate meetings at all hill gardens and stop tea dispatches, activities they started on September 17.
Leaders of the nine unions met in Darjeeling on Sunday and announced these decisions.
Saman Pathak, former Rajya Sabha MP and CPM leader said: “We have decided to hold a massive rally in Darjeeling on September 27 and continue holding gate meetings and continue to stop the dispatch of tea to press for early bonus talks. We want the bonus to be disbursed at the rate of 20 per cent.
Anit Thapa, chief executive, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and also the president of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) also directed elected representatives from his party to participate during gate meetings at different tea gardens.
“I have requested all the elected GTA Sabha members and panchayat members to participate in the gate meeting to back the demand,” said Thapa.
Bonus for tea gardens in Dooars and Terai have been settled for 16 per cent this year, which left workers and unions dissatisfied.
