Tea garden shut over dues protest

TT, Dec. 21: The management of Sylee Tea Estate in the Dooars announced suspension of work in the garden today, alleging lawlessness because of consistent protests and demonstrations by a section of workers.

Trade unions said workers had held demonstrations to protest the management's decision to further delay the payment of bonus and wage arrears.

The garden at Malbazar in Jalpaiguri has 1,515 permanent workers and around 500 temporary labourers.

Anup Pradhan, a leader of the INTUC-backed National Union of Plantation Workers, said the management had issued a notice last week, saying the bonus dues would be paid only in May, instead of the earlier date of December 23. "It was also announced that the wage dues which the management should have paid this year would be paid in June next year. The workers were also told that the management would pay bonus at 8.33 per cent, the minimum stipulated rate, next year" said Pradhan.

The management was supposed to pay the annual bonus at 20 per cent in two instalments. The bonus at the rate of 15 per cent was distributed before Durga Puja and it had been agreed that the remaining five per cent would be cleared by December 23.

On December 19, a section of workers gheraoed the manager for several hours demanding the payment of the dues. "It was a peaceful demonstration. During the agitation, the managerial staff told us that discussions would be held with higher officials on the issue. However, yesterday night, the manager and other managerial staff put up a notice announcing suspension of work and left the garden," said Sonia Kuzur, a worker of Sylee estate.

A management source said the current owner had invested crores of rupees after taking over the Sylee garden in 2004. "The management had made it clear to trade unions that it was not in a position to pay bonus beyond 8.33 per cent because of financial problems. We also told them that the dues could be cleared next year," said a management source.

The management, according to the suspension of work notice, was feeling insecure following the December 19 gherao. "...the management has lost all sense of safety and security for the managerial personnel and therefore, in such a scenario, the management is left with no other option but to declare suspension of operations of the estate with immediate effect..." reads the notice issued by the management.

S. Guhathakurta, the secretary of the Dooars Branch of Indian Tea Association, of which Sylee is a member garden, said: "The management had asked for a bipartite meeting to discuss the winter duties of workers and some other issues. However, sudden demonstrations and confinement of the manager has made the management take the decision."

J. Tanti, the Malbazar subdivisional officer, said the labour department would soon take up the issue of Sylee estate's reopening.

Meanwhile, Shyam Sundar Sarkar, 55, a paramedical employee at a hospital on Garganda Tea Estate, owned by the Duncans Goenka Group, died today because of lack of treatment. He was not getting salaries and was suffering from different diseases.

Job scheme

The authorities have allotted Rs 1 crore each for Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts to take up various projects in 29 ailing and closed tea gardens under the 100-day job scheme. It was also decided that workers engaged under the scheme would be paid in cash. As of now, the wages are transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.