Binay warns of project halt in tea gardens

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 01 Oct 2018, Darjeeling: GTA chief Binay Tamang said on Sunday that he would accept the minimum bonus for tea garden workers in the hills but would in turn stop development schemes in the plantations, which were, otherwise, to be executed by the management.

The Darjeeling Tea Association had earlier said it was "unable to enter into any negotiated settlement" on bonus for workers, citing a loss of 70 per cent in annual production because of the 104-day Gorkhaland shutdown last year.

The bonus is usually decided through negotiations between planters and unions but this year, the DTA hinted that it was willing to disburse the amount at 8.33 per cent, which Binay Tamang is the minimum rate allowed for under the law.

Tea gardens in the plains have agreed to disburse bonus at 19.50 per cent of a worker's annual earnings.

Speaking at Majuwa, 5km from Maneybhanjyang, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president said: "The management wants to pay bonus at 8.33 per cent. I have communicated to them that we are ready to accept the rate. How- ever, we will also stop all development works in tea gardens which are to be done by the management according to the plantation labour Act." Tamang said the state was building houses and toilets for labourers and roads, besides implementing drinking water projects in the gardens.

"These facilities are to be extended by the management. However, the government has so far been helping them but we will immediately stop those activities in the gardens," said Tamang. "The management will also have to provide all fringe benefits to the workers immediately." Tamang was in Majuwa to lay the foundations of new road and drinking water projects and a school building.

The trade unions in the hills are demanding bonus at 20 percent.

The hill leader said the planters were trying to contact him. "I will meet their delegation as and when I want," said Tamang.

Sandeep Mukherjee, the principal advisor to the DTA, declined comments on Tamang's statement. Sources said a DRA delegation had reached Darjeeling from Calcutta for a meeting with Tamang.

The Joint Forum, a conglomeration of trade unions, except those of the Morcha and Trinamul, announced on Sunday that they would be holding gate meetings in hill tea gardens for three days from Tuesday.

Binay Tamang said on Sunday that he would attend the Morcha's foundation day programme in Delhi on October 7 so that he could answer his critics "at their place"..