Tea trade unions halt work for a day, demand right pay

SNS, Siliguri, 13 October 2014; At least 21 trade unions associated with tea plantations observed a ‘cease-work’ and staged demonstrations in the Terai, the Dooars and the Darjeeling Hills today, demanding the minimum wage structure.

However, Trinamul Congress-backed INTTUC has stayed away from the Joint Forum of these trade unions.

It may be noted that almost all trade unions, including even the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) and Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad (ABAVP) backed trade unions, had come under an umbrella named the ‘Joint Forum’ during tripartite talks for the settlement of tea workers’ wage hike. “Thanks to the Inttuc state president Dola Sen. All trade unions have come under an umbrella due to her role during the tripartite talks and helped us maintain unity to demand the minimum wage structure,” a senior member of the Joint Forum said.

Tea workers put up a united face and observed the ‘cease-work’ and staged demonstrations in their respective areas and served memorandums to the Prime Minister and the chief minister.

“We have informed the Union minister of state for Commerce Ms Nirmala Sitharaman about today’s agitation in north Bengal. We must go on an industrial strike on 11 November and a 12-hour general strike on 12 November if the state government and planters do not show any positive signs in hiking tea worker’s wages within this period,” Joint Forum leader Ziaul Alam said.