Action against defaulter of Darj tea bonus order: Labour dept

Amitava Banerjee | MP  |  8 Oct 2022 | Darjeeling: Stringent action will be taken against all tea gardens that default the government order on the payment of bonus for the Darjeeling tea industry. 

On September 21, 2022, after a nine-hour-long tripartite meeting failed to resolve the stalemate that has been brewing over the Darjeeling tea bonus issue, the Minister-in-charge, Labour Department, Government of West Bengal, through the Additional Labour Commissioner issued an advisory that 20 per cent bonus be paid in two installments before Durga Puja and Diwali. 

The government advisory states that 20 per cent bonus be paid in two installments. "Out of the 87 tea gardens that fall under the Darjeeling tea industry, 45 gardens have paid the entire 20 per cent bonus already. 10 tea gardens under the DOTPL have already defaulted payment of salary, wages and have incurred huge dues. 

They have paid only 10 per cent bonus till now. 32 gardens have paid 15 per cent bonus and have committed to pay the remaining 5 per cent before October 21," stated JB Tamang, president of the tea union affiliated to the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha. The decision to pay bonus in two installments raked up discontent among the workers. The two trade unions attending the bonus talks, affiliated to the INTTUC and BGPM, had staged a walkout without signing. 

The unions cried foul over the discrimination as the Dooars and Terai tea industries were being given bonus at 20 per cent in a single payment mode. A "Blood Tea campaign" was launched with the Hamro Party giving a call for boycott of Darjeeling tea alleging exploitation of workers. 

"We are keeping a strict watch on the situation. The gardens are closed now owing to Dussehra and will reopen on October 11. 

After that we will ensure that the remaining 5 per cent bonus is paid at the earliest in the gardens that haven't paid yet," stated Dipak Pradhan of the union affiliated to INTTUC. "As per the government advisory, if the management fails to disburse the bonus within the stipulated time and violates the above, appropriate action will be initiated by the Labour department," stated Mohammad Rizwan, Additional Labour Commissioner. 

http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/action-against-defaulter-of-darj-tea-bonus-order-labour-dept-495289