Union demands Rs 350 wage for tea workers

SNS, Siliguri, 9 June: Ahead of the third tripartite meet on revision of remuneration for tea workers, which would be held at Uttarkanya on 18 June, the North Bengal Tea Plantation Employees Union, affiliated to the All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), has demanded a minimum wage of Rs 350 for a tea worker a day. The union is scheduled to stage an agitation in the Terai and the Dooars from 22 to 29 June if the third tripartite meeting too ends inconclusively.

Leaders of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI)-backed AIUTUC, demanded that the state government take initiatives to settle the tea workers’ wage issue soon.

“But the present state government is following the footsteps of the erstwhile government. The government should declare implementation of the Minimum Wages Act in tea plantations. The erstwhile Left Front government had promised to enact minimum wages in the plantations, but failed,” AIUTUC leaders said.

The three-year tripartite wage agreement for tea workers ended on 31 March and two tripartite meetings were held in Siliguri, but the fate of the tea workers still hangs in the balance. AIUTUC leaders also pointed out that the wage issue was settled after three years, but poverty-stricken workers were being deprived every time he settlement is reached, as the wage is less than the wages given by the Minimum Wages Act.

“We have calculated that the minimum wage of a tea worker should be Rs 350. We will accept the proposal of the tea management if we feel it is justified during the tripartite meeting among planters, trade unions and the state government,” the AIUTUC leaders said.“Wage settlement would be meaningless if it is done without including the variable dearness allowance (VDA),” North Bengal Tea Plantation Employees Union general secretary Abhijit Roy said. “We demand VDA for tea workers,” he added.