Hill tea association declines bonus talks

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 27 Sep 2018: Darjeeling: The Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) has expressed its inability "to enter into any negotiated settlement" on the bonus for hill garden workers citing losses during last year's statehood agitation.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's trade union has termed "humiliating" a letter from the (DTA) to this effect and accused tea managements of trying to disrupt peace in the hills.

The standard practice is for the bonus rates to be negotiated in bipartite meetings between association representatives and unions. The rate for workers in the Terai and the Dooars has been fixed at 19.50 per cent of their CASH CONCERNS annual earnings.

In its September 19 letter to unions, the DTA has said that the 87 hill gardens suffered a 70 per cent loss in production due to last year's 104-day statehood agitation.

The managements have stated that the gardens are under "immense financial stress" and also highlighted a state government decision on an interim hike in daily wages. The daily wage, which was Rs 132.50 at the beginning of the year, will increase to Rs 176 from October 1 this year after the hike.

A representative of the industry said the minimum rate that the management is bound to pay is 8.33 per cent. Last year, the hill gardens had paid bonus at the rate of 19.75 per cent.

Bharat Thakuri, general secretary of Morcha's Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union, said: "The letter is humiliating. Is the management trying to create unrest in the hills? DTA officials have fled after issuing this letter but we will ensure that they sit for a meeting and will not accept anything less than 20 per cent.".