Tea workers threaten prolonged agitation

Despite West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees warning against indulging in strikes and bandhs

Despite West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees warning against indulging in strikes and bandhs,the tea plantation workers of North Bengal have threatened a prolonged phase of agitation if their demands for a wage hike were not met by August 16.

A majority of over 250,000 plantation workers in Dooars and Terai region will go for a strike on August 17 and 18 in more than 200 tea gardens if the minimum wage for plantation workers is not raised to a minimum of Rs 90. At present it is pegged at Rs 67.

If there is no positive response form the government and management,the plantation workers under the banner of Tea Workers Coordination Committee,an umbrella organisation largely controlled by the Adivasi Vikas Parishad,would resort to a general strike from August 22 to August 24. If it still fails to elicit any response,the organisation has threatened to go for an indefinite bandh of the Dooars and Terai from August 27 onwards.

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The workers in tea gardens of Darjeeling hills were able to complete their wage revision settlement,prior to the state Assembly polls,having raised the wages from Rs 67 to Rs 90,and even Rs 93 in some cases. During the several rounds of discussions attended by the managements,the government and the Adivasi Vikas Parishad and other unions of plantation workers,the managements were not ready to raise the wages beyond Rs 75.

The plantation workers have meanwhile stopped despatch of finished tea from the tea gardens to auction centers.

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