Without bonus, tea garden workers of Darjeeling look forward to an uncertain Dasai

EOI, DARJEELING, OCTOBER 18, 2023 :  The Dasai festival for the workers of the tea gardens of the hills is seemingly moving towards uncertainty, with the management and owners yet to disburse the all important puja bonus. 

With meager wages, workers in the tea gardens of the hills region rely on the puja bonus to tide over the back to back festivals of Dasai and Tihar. 

The owners and trade unions after prolonged talks have failed to come to a consensual bonus rate for the workers. 

On Monday, the Additional Labour Commissioner called a meeting with tea garden owners and the various trade unions in Siliguri and later issued an advisory on behalf of the West Bengal Government to the owners to pay a bonus at the rate of 19 percent. Initially, the owners citing financial burden had offered to pay nine percent bonus. 

However, the trade unions remained adamant on a 20 percent bonus. Post the 104- day strike in 2017 and the Coronavirus pandemic, the tea garden management reluctantly has agreed to a 20 percent bonus, but payable in installments. 

Compounding matters, six gardens under the Lemon Grass Tea Company have been declared closed by the owners due to loss of income and indiscipline among workers. 

Some gardens like Putung, Norbung Phuguri among others have decided to give bonus at the rate of nine and 16 percent. Workers in various tea gardens have started agitation demanding 20 percent bonus and reopening of the closed tea gardens before the puja festival. 

Workers of the Putung tea garden have started an indefinite hunger strike demanding a 19 percent bonus as agreed upon. 

"We demand a 19 percent bonus like other tea gardens. We will not accept 16 percent. We toil hard year after year but the management always makes excuses to deprive us of our right. We will not give up until the 19 percent bonus is given to us," said Kamala Gurung, one of the workers on the hunger strike. 

Dharnas have been launched in Norbung, Chungthang and Phuguri tea gardens by workers. "Leave alone the 19 percent bonus. We don't know who will give us bonus at all. The owners have declared a lock-out. 

The State Government should take action and remedial measures to ensure the welfare of the workers," said Pralad Chettri, unit president of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha affiliated trade union of Chungthung tea garden. 

Kurseong MLA B. P. Bajgain said the West Bengal government was to blame for the present crisis in the tea gardens of the hills. 

"The labour department of the state government issues an advisory for a 19 percent bonus but at the same time provides an escape route by saying it is not binding to the financially stressed tea gardens. All the gardens will say they are financially weak," he said. 

The MLA said the West Bengal government should bring a bill in the Assembly, fixing 20 percent as bonus for all the tea gardens. 

"If the gardens are facing losses, why do the owners continue to run them? Gardens should be run by owners with capability. The lease of the defaulting owners should be scrapped by the State Government," said Bajgain. 

Sources said of the 87 gardens of the hills nearly half have cited financial crises as the reason for inability to pay bonus at the rate advised by the State Government, even as few garden had started paying 19 percent bonus at one go.