Gardens in plains openWorkers demonstrate outside the factory of Karala Valley Tea Estate, on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri, on Monday. Picture by Biplab Basak

Workers demonstrate outside the factory of Karala Valley Tea Estate,
on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri, on Monday. Picture by Biplab Basak

AVIJIT SINHA, Siliguri, June 12: Around half of the 200-odd tea estates in the Terai and the Dooars remained open on the first-day of the strike called by the Joint Forum today, providing some sort of solace to Trinamul that had opposed the agitation.

The forum, an apex body of 24 trade unions of tea garden workers, had called a two-day tea industry strike - today and tomorrow - mainly to demand fixing of minimum wages. The Forum has also a called a 12-hour general strike tomorrow on the same demand.

In the hills, almost all gardens were closed as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's writ runs there.

Mohan Sharma, the president of the Cha Bagan Trinamul Congress Mazdoor Union, said: "Most of the tea gardens in the Terai and the Dooars were open today. Workers did not respond to the call and we are confident that tomorrow, more workers will join duties."

Such mixed response during a strike has been witnessed in the tea belt for the first time. Earlier, there used to be complete shutdown when such a strike was called.

The change this time is because of a number of reasons, claimed Sharma. "The chief minister's appeal to workers to refrain from strikes and her claim that the strike has been called with political motives# has worked. We had also tried to convince the labourers that the strike is unnecessary at this point of time as the state has started an initiative to fix the minimum wage rate and fulfil other demands raised by the unions," he said.

A Trinamul leader in the Terai said they were insisting on an interim wage hike to benefit the workers. "Once that is fixed, workers will start earning additional money. The rate will be null and void after minimum wage rate comes into force. Most of the unions are opposing this move with political interests."

Ziaur Alam, the convener of the forum, alleged that the state government tried to use police and administration to break the strike and some demonstrators were even detained. "But the strike was successful," he claimed.

Alok Chakraborty, the working president of Intuc-backed National Union of Plantation Workers, said: "Our union is against the 12-hour general strike but will observe the industry strike tomorrow. Congress leaders have also clarified that they are not supporting the general strike."

Tomorrow, the general strike has been called in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts and in Islampur and Mekhliganj subdivisions of North Dinajpur and Cooch Behar districts, respectively.

The Left and the Morcha are supporting the general strike.

ADDITIONAL INPUTS BY OUR JALPAIGURI AND ALIPURDUAR CORRESPONDENTS