Five die in closed Panighatta tea estate in one week

SNS Siliguri, | 25 November, 2015: Five labourers have died in a week's time due to lack of basic amenities like food and medical supplies at the Panighatta Tea Estate, a member of the Tea Association of India (TAI), which remains under a cessation of work since 10 October. One more worker had died there due to similar reasons in October.

After a dispute with workers over Durga puja bonus, the TE management in Mirik Block under the Kurseong sub-division announced the suspension of work, citing 'lawless behaviour' on part of the labourers. However, a section of workers have alleged that the management left with their families without notifying the workers about the cessation of work, to avoid paying them their arrears and wages.

On the other hand, sources from the tea management said that the decision to suspend work was not a day's decision and not only based on a dispute over the bonus, but it was based on several incidents of 'unrest' among workers or similar hindrances to the functionality of the estate.

Notably, the Panighatta TE is one of the 32 tea gardens identified as sick, on which a workforce of over 40,000 labourers are dependant.

According to trade union leaders associated with the Panighatta garden, around 1100 labourers are surviving in highly deplorable conditions. While the trade union leaders are waiting for a settlement, and hoping to have their demands for basic rights of tea workers accepted by the garden management, they are speculative on attaining a concrete solution for the problems of the workers. Their demands include proper distribution of ration and payment of wages and arrears and other funds.

"We will place the immediate issues in a meeting on 27 November," INTTUC leader and Hill Trinamul Congress president Rajen Mukhia said. "The immediate opening of the tea garden, payment of two weeks' wages to labourers, and a month's salary to the staff and sub-staff, will be some of our primary demands. If nothing happens and the tea garden is not opened on the 28 November, we will plan and execute other programmes to press for the workers' rights," he added.

President of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha's (GJMM) Panighata branch committee, Hiran Lohar said they too will intensify their movement if the decision to reopen the tea garden is not finalised in the meeting. The GJMM has been observing a relay hunger strike to pressurise the administration and the tea garden management to reach a positive decision since 21 November.

"Ration for over 48 weeks remains due. Arrears, salaries and wages have also not been cleared. We want the workers to get their rightful wages, and the tea garden to open. If nothing happens in the meeting, we will intensify our agitation by staging road blocks and the like," Lohar said.

It may be mentioned that the Joint Forum, an umbrella body of 23 trade unions (except Trinamul Congress), has announced a relay hunger strike and sit-in demonstrations in tea plantations in north Bengal on 27 November, and called for a token strike of the tea industry on 1 December.

The Joint Labour Commission has called a meeting on 27 November with the Panighatta tea garden management and workers' representatives. The meeting that was supposed to be held earlier was postponed as the manager failed to attend owing to health issues.