Tea prod for TMC, Morcha

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT,  05 Jul 2019, Darjeeling: The Joint Forum, a conglomeration of 26 trade unions for tea garden workers, has issued an appeal to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the Trinamul Congress to join the platform to strengthen the fight for the rights of the labourers.

"We would appeal to all unions, including those of the Morcha and Trinamul to join our forum to strengthen the movement for workers' rights," said Saman Pathak, CPM leader and former Rajya Sabha member.

The appeal, sources, said was to put a "check" on all parties. This comes at a time the BJP has been making major gains in north Bengal.

The forum, which consists of most of tea garden trade unions in north Bengal, except those of the Morcha and Trinamul, has decided to organise dharnas outside the offices of the Darjeeling Tea Association, provident fund and the labour department in Darjeeling on Monday, followed by gate meetings in tea gardens from the following day.

The workers demand minimum wages, land rights and regularisation of gratuity and provident fund payments among others. The forum's appeal comes close on the heels of chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressing willingness to work with the Congress and the Left Front to counter the rise of the BJP.

A source in the forum said: "Didi (Mamata) is also under pressure and in the given situation, it could help the workers' movementThe Bengal Tea Plantation Workers' Union, which is allegiant to the BJP, is a constituent of the forum. John Barla, the Alipurduar MP of the BJP, is the chief of the union.

Even though Pathak only spoke about the need to strength the workers' movement, insiders in the forum said the appeal was an attempt to "bring balance" within the conglomeration.

"No political party should take credit out of the Joint Forum and that is why the appeal has been made to bring about a balance by roping in the Morcha and Trinamul. The BJP,too, should not be taking credit," said a source.

The source said the issue of "big partner (read BJP) gobbling the smaller partners was also discussed at the meeting of the forum in Darjeeling on Wednesday.