Tea unions to resume wage agitation

TT, Alipurduar: The Joint Forum, an apex body of tea trade unions of north Bengal, will resume its movement on the longstanding demand to fix minimum wage rate for tea workers in January next year.

The leaders of the Forum said on Monday that they will organise a rally to Uttarkanya, the branch secretariat of the state in Siliguri, on January 24 on the minimum wage issue.

"The state is yet to fix the minimum wage rate for tea workers. Even though the previous wage agreement has expired on March 31 this year, workers are still receiving wages at the old rate because no minimum wage has been fixed. That is why, the leader of the Forum said, they will resume movement on the issue from next month," said Ziaur Alam, the convener of the forum.

On December 1, there will be workers' meetings in each tea estate across north Bengal, followed by three workers' conventions at Bagdogra, Chalsa and Kalchini, the Alam said.

The Forum, he said, has also decided to join hands with tea unions of Assam and other north-eastern states to form a coordination committee and work jointly on wage and other issues.

With the tea union leaders asserting its plan, Trinamul leaders based in the brew belts of north Bengal said these are "politically motivated" moves.