Wages due: Workers of 10 tea estates stage stir : Workers of tea estates under Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates Pvt. Ltd (DOTEPL,) are on an agitation

Workers of tea estates under Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates Pvt. Ltd (DOTEPL,) are on an agitation 

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 23 Aug 2022 | Darjeeling: Workers of ten tea estates under the Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates Pvt. Ltd (DOTEPL,) formerly popular as the Bansal Group, are on an agitation path for not having been paid wages along with other benefits. On Monday they staged a Dharna in front of the District Collectorate in Darjeeling. This is not the first time that the workers of these gardens are on an agitation path. 

In June this year, workers had launched an agitation for 5 days for non-receipt of wages for two months along with other benefits. The matter had then been resolved. 

"They have stopped paying wages, salary and even stopped sending fuel and coal to the gardens, essential for the processing of tea even during peak plucking season. We met the Darjeeling District Magistrate, Labour Commissioners and even the Labour Minister of West Bengal. We came to know that a committee has been set up to run the gardens with foreign financers. An Australian company financing the committee has withdrawn and now the committee is looking for new financers" alleged JB Tamang, president, Himalayan Terai Dooars Plantation Workers Union (HTDPWU) affiliated to Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha. 

The HTDPWU has demanded that the lease of the gardens be cancelled and the gardens be handed over to new owners. "Till this time the workers can run the gardens through workers cooperatives. 

The Government should also declare the gardens as lockout so that the workers get Financial Assistance to the Worker of Locked Out Industries (FAWLOI.) Our agitation will continue till our demands are met" stated Tamang. 

The Hamro Party has appealed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to cancel the lease of tea gardens who have not paid workers for months, said party president, Ajoy Edwards. 

 http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/wages-due-workers-of-10-tea-estates-stage-stir-490535