'Grant' for tea workers sought; Binoy 'positive'

SNS, DARJEELING, 10 October 2018: Leaders of the Taint Forum, a conglomeration of around 23 trade unions working in tea plantations, today met the chairman of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Board of Administrators, Binoy Tamang, and demanded that some 'compensatory grant' be given to tea garden workers who went through hardships during the 104 -day shutdown in the Hills last year, and when they failed to earn a penny.

"Employees working in government offices, including the GTA, got their remuneration for the strike period, but the tea garden workers did not get anything. We want some compensation for them for that period, either from the state government or the GTA," said JB Tamang, the convener of the JF Hill committee. He added that they met the GTA chairman and submitted a memorandum today.

"Adding to the woes, the puja bonus of 15 percent they will be getting comes to a very less amount when calculated on the working days due to the strike last year. In such things, political differences should be set aside and in the meeting today we got a good response from Tamang who told us that he has already spoken of our demand of compensation of the strike period for tea garden workers to the chief minister in November last year," said JF member Amar Lama. According to him, Mr Tamang also told them that there was a committee for tea garden issues and a meeting is about to be held where he would take up the matter. " He said that it could take sometime, but we will be happy if in the end compensation is given to the tea garden workers," Mr Lama added.

JF spokesperson Sunil Rai said they also took up the issue of closed tea gardens like Dooteriah, Peshok and Kalej Valley in the meeting today. "They have been closed since 2011 and we hope that he will also take this matter forward," he said. He added that the Forum was happy with the positive response given by Mr Tamang today.