Two tea gardens of the Darjeeling tea industry suspended their operations on Tuesday, taking the total number of closed gardens to 13.

This is one of the highest figures of closed gardens at one time for the tea industry in the region.

Sources said that the management of Soom and Lingia tea gardens in Darjeeling sub-division declared suspension of operations on Tuesday.

“The workers have not yet joined work for more than a week now and therefore the management was withdrawn as they have no work,” said a source.

Soom tea garden, which is spread across 507 acres, employs 570 workers. Lingia, of 220 acres, employs 382 workers.

Bonus-related issues have led to unrest across the hill brew belt.

The state government has issued an advisory to the Darjeeling industry to pay a bonus at the rate of 16 per cent. The workers are demanding 20 per cent.

Recently, the state government has called another round of meeting in Calcutta on November 6. Eight tea unions from the hills have agreed to suspend their agitation and have asked unions to resume work.

Sources said that Soom tea garden credited the 16 per cent bonus amount to the workers bank account on October 2. “In Lingia we could not credit as a section of workers stopped the clerks from making fund requisition,” the source added.

While workers of many gardens have started joining work, some have refused to accept the directive of the unions.

"Some workers are still stopping dispatch of made tea from factories even though unions have withdrawn this agitation,” said a management source.

Singtom tea garden near Darjeeling town was the first to withdraw its management even before the 16 per cent directive, citing financial losses due to the union’s embargo on dispatch of tea.

Sources said workers of Ringtong tea garden in Sonada and Longview tea garden in Kurseong started a hunger strike on Tuesday on the bonus issue.

"There is no doubt that the tea industry is going through testing times. The number of closed gardens in the Darjeeling tea industry is a clear indicator,” said the source.