Bonus rate fixed ...Buxa estates to reopen today

TT, Siliguri/Alipurduar, Sept. 10: The trade union and tea planters' associations today fixed the bonus rate to be paid to the workers serving in the tea estates of Terai and Dooars.

Alok Chakraborty, a senior Intuc leader, said this evening: "It has been decided that bonus will be paid at the rate of 19.75 per cent. The meeting is still on to resolve some ancillary issues."

Prabhat Mukherjee, vice-president of INTTUC backed Cha Bagan Trinamul Congress Mazdoor Union, informed that the bonus rate of around 44 sick tea estates - in Dooars and Terai - has been waived from this rate.

The bonus rates, however, are yet to be decided for tea workers in the hills. All the 87 gardens in the hills are closed since June 15 because of the ongoing indefinite strike.

Alipurduar, Sept, 10: The workers of Kalchini and Raimatang tea estates are elated as the two gardens, closed for the past two months, will reopen tomorrow ahead of Durga Puja.

Both Kalchini and Raimatang are owned by Buxa Dooars Tea Company Ltd and has 3,200 permanent workers.

The decision to reopen the gardens was taken at a tripartite meeting held between trade union leaders, labour department officers and garden management yesterday.

Earlier, two tripartite meetings held on the same issue had failed but the trade union leaders were keen to reopen the gardens before the Durga Puja so that workers could get some portion of their dues, sources said.

Kalchini and Raimatang gardens, situated on Kalchini block here, had been closed because the managements of both the estates had issued lockout notices in their respective garden on July 10 and July 18, respectively, alleging labour unrest.

Chandan Dasgupta, the joint labour commissioner, said: "It has been decided that both Kalchini and Raimatang tea estates will reopen tomorrow. On the same day workers will be paid a portion of wage dues. Payment for earned leave (EL) and leave travelling allowance (LTA) of the workers will be made within December 25 this year."

Other wages and arrears amount of increased wage would also be paid by June 2018 and a meeting would be organised to discuss the payment of other dues, Dasgupta informed.

Gopal Pradhan, the president of Dooars Cha Bagan Worker's Union said: "We are happy that the two gardens will reopen tomorrow and the workers will receive a portion of due wage on the same day. The family members of the labourers will be able to enjoy Durga Puja which was uncertain as the garden was closed."