Threat to stall first flush tea in hills

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 02 Mar 2019, Darjeeling: A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the Darjeeling tea industry with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's union threatening to stop the dispatch of premium firstflush tea from March 7 unless wage arrears are cleared.

The planters producing Darjeeling Tea have said such a move will compound their "financial distress" and indicated that any such agitation would make it difficult for the dues to be paid.

First flush accounts for 20 per cent of the annual tea production of around 8 million kg but the share of revenue it brings is "substantial", an official said, adding much of the premium variety is exported. "We will wait till March 6 for the companies to clear three months' wage dues, failing which we will stop the dispatch from the gardens," Karuna Gurung, president, Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union, said on Friday.

The arrears arise from a hike of Rs 17.50 hike in daily wages that came into effect from January 2018. Many hill gardens have not cleared the wages for January-March 2018, citing problems caused by the 2017 statehood agitation.

The current daily wage of a tea worker is Rs 176. "Nearly 70 per cent of the hill gardens are yet to clear these dues," said Gurung.

The Morcha union's threat comes days after the Joint Forum -- a platform of tea unions except those affiliated to Trinamul and the Morcha -- warned of an agitation over the same demand.

Sandeep Mukherjee, principal adviser of the Darjeeling Tea Association, said: "Such a move will only compound the financial distress. If the management is not allowed to sell its produce, the dues cannot be cleared." The unions should stop "arm-twisting" the managements, Mukherjee said and stressed that they would have to bear the "the fallout of this threat". Asked if the dues would be paid by March 7, he said: "I have informed the offices in Calcutta.".