Protest in tea garden

TT, Jalpaiguri, Oct. 5: Around 650 workers of a tea garden held a demonstration, ransacked the office and gheraoed the manager for around 10 hours today to protest against alleged engagement of women labourers at the estate factory at night.

The protest halted the work in the Hilla garden, about 50km from here. The agitators also alleged that some of the facilities provided by the management to the workers were in a shambles.

Around 7am today, over 650 workers reached the garden office and started the demonstration. None of the workers joined duties today.

Durga Mahali, the unit secretary of the Trinamul backed Terai Dooars Plantation Workers' Union in the garden, said: "For the past few weeks, the management has been engaging women workers at the factory during night shifts. Today, we demonstrated to oppose the new practice."

Brijesh Roy, the garden manager, was confined to his office from 7am till 5pm. The protesters damaged the window panes, doors and the furniture of the office.

Victor Ekka, a worker of Hilla, said the healthcare facilities in the garden were in a shambles. "Also, the vehicle that carries our children to schools is tottery and needs to repaired or replaced immediately. We had raised these issues before the management many times but there is no change in the situation."

Roy has denied that female workers are engaged during night shifts. "We had information that some workers and their family members were selling hooch at their quarters. We asked them to abstain from such illegal activities. We believe it had left a section of workers and some anti-socials agitated. That is why they organised the attack," he said.