Darjeeling tea industry reluctant to hold early bonus negotiations for tea garden workers

Anit Thapa, president of BGPM and the chief executive of GTA, wants bonus negotiations to start immediately

Workers in a tea garden in Darjeeling hills

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 09.05.23 :  The Darjeeling tea industry is reluctant to hold early bonus negotiations for tea garden workers demanded by tea union leaders.

Sources said that Anit Thapa, the president of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) and the chief executive of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration GTA), wants bonus negotiations to start immediately.

“Thapa said it while addressing his party union leaders on May Day... a few days back, union leaders of his party also raised the demand in writing to the various managements (of tea gardens),” said a source.

According to current industry trends, annual bonuses to workers have to be paid before Durga Puja. The rates must not be less than 8.33 per cent of the workers' annual earnings. The ceiling is 20 per cent.

The unions and the management of tea gardens have to agree on the percentage for that particular year through bilateral talks.

The negotiations have failed many times leading to disruptions in the hills. Many believe unions are under pressure to agree to the percentage figures at times when the Pujas near.

“Thapa has aired an opinion that a majority of union leaders cutting across party lines believe, that bonus negotiations have to start early, preferably from June-July,” said a tea union leader.

The management of tea gardens, however, has termed the proposal “unfeasible”.

“The proposal of the union is unfeasible on various counts and we cannot accept it,” a tea planter told The Telegraph.

Multiple sources from the tea industry management said that even though accounts close on March 31, work on the balance sheet continues till June.

“The financial position of a company would not be fully known by June,” one of them added.

Another planter added that even though the bonus of the previous year is paid, funds are used from the current year.

“Right now, production of only the first flush, which accounts for 20 percent of the total production, is over. How can we predict our financial condition of October (when the bonus is normally paid)?" said another planter.

There are four plucking seasons for the Darjeeling industry, first, second, monsoon and autumn. Even though the first flush accounts for only 20 per cent of the production, the price it fetches is high.

Another planter added that bonus negotiations are started almost together in all the tea belts of the country. “Tea negotiations start at the same time around the country and this is a trend as old as the industry,” said the planter.

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph