Worker dies in closed N Bengal tea garden

HT, 17 October 2016, SILIGURI: The death of Danial Ekka, a worker of Naya Saylee tea garden in Dooars, has once again brought to the fore the deteriorating health condition of workers in closed and locked out tea gardens of North Bengal.

Ekka (51), suffering from tuberculosis, died on Sunday for lack of medical treatment, said his family members and trade union leaders at Naya Sailee tea garden under Nagarkata block in Jalpaiguri district. The garden employing about 1,400 workers was declared locked out from September 24 after the trade unions started movement demanding 19% puja bonus as agreed in a meeting with CCPA in Kolkata.

Ekka, a resident of Jungle Line in the garden, could not be taken to hospital as there was no fuel for the garden ambulance.

Amarchik Baraik, a trade union leader affiliated with CPI(M), said, “Though the garden has an ambulance, there was no petrol and Ekka could not be taken to hospital.” The management declared locked out in the garden after workers demonstrated and held gate meetings demanding 19% puja bonus. Citing different reasons, the management stated that it can pay only 16%.

As uncertainty looms over their future, many workers have started moving out in search of jobs. Many female workers are going to Chengmari, Thaljhora and Kurti tea gardens to work as temporary workers.

However, like in the past, there have been no malnutrition deaths in closed and locked out tea gardens. This is due to the distribution of general relief by the government in the form of rice, wheat and sugar, said a labour department official.