Kolkata meet talks tea productivity matters

SNS, 17 November 2018, Siliguri: The state government's labour department convened a meeting at Rotunda at Writers' Building yesterday to discuss "productivity-related matters" that employers in the tea sector raised during discussions in a series of meetings of the Minimum Wages Advisory Committee. In the meeting, minister- in- charge for the labour department, Moloy Ghatak, listened to both the planters and trade union leader's.

Sources said that the employers specifically mentioned that with the wages being raised to Rs 176 a day with effect from 1 October it is imperative that productivity-related issues need to be addressed to enablethe industry to remain afloat, particularly when there is no movement in realization of tea prices, has been almost constant in last couple of years with Rs 135 per kg.

"Discussions at the Rotunda focused on attending to full day's working hours provided under the Plantation Labour Act and Factories Act in place of reported work of an average of live hours across the Industry, P K Bhattacharjee, the Secretary General of the Tea Association of India, said.

"It is expected that the beginning made by the good offices of the state government to conduct such a meeting would achieve productive results," he added.

Issues related to the outdated convention of half-day work on certain occasions, usage of unpaid holidays during festivals, which coincide with the peak period of production, were some of the issues discussed," sources said, adding that the Industry s aid that need-based work, abolition of the 1969 agreement (in view of 30 per cent absenteeism), and working on weekly day of rest in peak manufacturing season were imperative"

On the other hand, Ziaul Alam, the spokesperson of the Joint Forum, a conglomeration of over 23 trade unions, said: "I had to point out that some skilled management in the tea industry will be disturbed it the state tries to fight for unskilled management. We vehemently protested the issue of eight-hour work.'

"Planters need to apply the method formulated scientifically by predecessors, A worker cannot work (who is engaged in spraying pesticides) for more than four and a half hours, while the suitable time tor pruning is before sunrise. Tea bushes will be damaged if workers are engaged in pruning throughout the day," Mr Alam said.

"To save the tea industry, the question of productivity and quality is certainly correct. Productivity would be improved it the management frequently interacts with workers and their leaders in the garden level on a regular basis," he added.