Work halt in 2 gardens

Workers gather in front of the factory of Hilla estate  Monday. Picture by Biplab Basak 

TT, Jalpaiguri: Work was suspended in two tea gardens in the Dooars by management since Sunday because of workers' protests and alleged lack of seriousness of a section of labourers in duties.

The state labour department has promised immediate intervention for resumption of work on Sylee Tea Estate in Malbazar block and Hilla Tea Estate under Nagrakata block.

Bulu Chik Baraik, the Trinamul MLA of Malbazar, has accused the estates' management of suspending work to avoid payment of wages during the ongoing lean season.

Most of management staff members in the Sylee garden have left, workers said.

While Sylee has around 1,500 workers, Hilla's labour force is about 1,000 strong.

The Hilla estate had earlier been owned by the West Bengal Tea Development Corporation. It was sold to a private tea company in 2015.

"A section of workers at Sylee does not listen to the instructions of the management. They do not join duties on a regular basis. Such attitude was creating a problem for the management to run regular activities," said Amritangshu Chakraborty, the principal advisor to the Indian Tea Planters' Association.

Sylee is a member garden of the ITPA.

The trade unions are not ready to buy the theory.

"Some of the managerial staff had misbehaved with workers, which had led to earlier protests. Also, no initiative was taken by the management to clear the workers' dues, which include provident fund and rations," said Binoy Kumar Saha, leader of a Trinamul-backed union at Sylee.

In Hilla, sources said, there were workers' protests on a number of occasions over non-payment of dues. In October, there was an altercation between workers and management representatives. Stones were allegedly hurled by some workers at the accommodations of managerial staff in the garden, sources said.

Durga Mahali, a trade union leader in Hilla, said: "The management has no reason to close down the garden. It was a wrong move which has left the workers jobless."

The decisions have also invited criticism from Trinamul leaders.

The labour department said tripartite meetings would be held on January 12 and 15 to facilitate reopening of the gardens.