'Minimum wage can be implemented for tea garden workers in 24 hrs if advisory panel suggests an amount'

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 2 Dec 2022 | Darjeeling: "If the committee on minimum wages recommends a minimum wage amount, it will not take us 24 hours to come out with a notification and implement it," stated Moloy Ghatak, Minister of Law, Government of West Bengal. 

Addressing media persons at the state guest house in Siliguri, Ghatak stated that opposition trade unions were chaffing the state government for non-implementation of minimum wages. 

"We had constituted a minimum wage advisory committee in 2015 with representative of all trade unions and the Management. The opposition trade union representatives are all in the committee. 

There have been 18 meetings of the committee conducted till now. Yet, they have not been able to come to a decision on the amount that is agreeable by both the management and the trade unions. Why blame us then?" questioned Ghatak. 

The law minister stated that the Mamata Banerjee government has done a lot for the tea garden workers. 

"During 34 years of Left Front rule, wage increments would be Rs. 2. After Mamata Banerjee came to power in 2011, the cash component of Rs. 67 daily wage has increased to Rs. 232. Our government provides 35 kg rice to tea garden workers every month free-of-cost. 

In BJP ruled Assam, tea garden workers are provided 20kg of ration for Rs. 9 per kg. The government is working on providing drinking water connection to each and every worker's house. Under the Cha Sundari project houses are being built for all the tea garden workers," stated the minister. 

The minister distributed identity cards to tea garden workers at Kamala tea garden in Phansidewa and also at Bagrakot tea estate. 

"As per the recommendations of our national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, we are providing all tea garden workers with identity cards. We are also coming up with 50 crèches and 20 health centres in the tea gardens. 

The North Bengal Development department will be calling tenders for this" added Ghatak. Ritabrata Banerjee, INTTUC state president, who was also present, stated that the workers complained of problems relating to Provident Fund and Aadhaar cards not being made for them. 

We will launch an agitation including rallies from December 9 to December 13 against the Central Government in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts," added Banerjee. 

Courtesy & source- Millenium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/minimum-wage-can-be-implemented-for-tea-garden-workers-in-24-hrs-if-advisory-panel-suggests-an-amount-500857