TG workers continue agitation for second day running

EOI, MIRIK/KALCHINI, 25 Jul 2014: The tea garden workers from the Hills, Dooars and Terai continued their agitation for the second day today, demanding the government and TG owners to raise the daily wage from the current Rs.90 per day to Rs.290. The workers arguing that Rs.90 is a meagre amount in comparison to the rising cost of commodities, conducted gate meetings at their respective TGs. During the gate meetings, the workers demanded the state government and TG workers to increase the daily wage of the workers as per the Minimum Wage Act.

Before the gate meeting this morning, thousands of workers from 286 tea gardens from Mechi to Sunkosh held protests at their respective TGs, shouting slogans against the government and the owners. At Singhboli TG in Mirik, the GJM-backed workers union the DTDPLU conducted the gate meeting and made the workers aware about the Minimum Wage Act and various other rights they are entitled to. The meeting was conducted by the DTDPLU leader Premnath Sampang, Manoj Rai, Sujan Rai and Sanjiv Chamling. The leaders claimed all the workers are ready to fight for their rights.

In the Dooars region, the workers from various TGs staged gate meeting for the second day, voicing their demand to increase the daily waged to Rs.290 along with provision for VDA and other benefits.  The meetings were conducted by various worker unions, such as the DTDPLU, DCBWU and PTWU among others. The trade unionleaders said the workers are ready for a broader movement against the government and the TG owners.