Tea trade unions to launch rally in Kolkata on Jan 20

HPEU along with the Paschim Bangla Cha Bagan Shramik Karmachari Union has decided to hold a rally with the support of other trade unions as part of the Mazdoor Adhikar Sangharsh Aviyaan. 

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 18 Jan 2024, Darjeeling: Trade unions have decided to launch a rally in Kolkata in demand of the implementation of minimum wages for tea garden workers. Along with this they have also urged the government to take over closed tea gardens. 

Sumendra Tamang of the Hill Plantation Employees Union (HPEU) addressing media persons in Darjeeling on Thursday stated: “HPEU along with the Paschim Bangla Cha Bagan Shramik Karmachari Union has decided to hold a rally with the support of other trade unions as part of the Mazdoor Adhikar Sangharsh Aviyaan. 

A rally will be held from Moulali to Raj Bhawan in Kolkata on January 20. We will also take part in a sit-in demonstration outside the Raj Bhawan and also submit a memorandum to the West Bengal government with the demand of implementation of minimum wages before February 2, in compliance with a Calcutta High Court order along with the reopening of closed tea gardens.” Around 6000 workers are to take part in the rally. 

Tamang stated that on August 2, 2023 the Calcutta High Court had ordered that the government should implement minimum wages for tea garden workers in Bengal within six months. HPEU had demanded a minimum daily wage of Rs 682. On January 9, a meeting of the minimum wage committee was held at Shramik Bhawan in Siliguri in the presence of minister Moloy Ghatak. 

The next round of talks of the minimum wage committee is scheduled to be held on January 30. The Labour minister had then stated that he was optimistic that a positive decision would definitely emerge from the meeting on January 30. 

“We want to exert pressure before the January 30 meeting so that the government takes a positive step and complies with the court order. The Governor is like a bridge between the state and the Union government, hence we decided to submit a memorandum to him,” added Sumendra. 

“We demand that the lost glory of the unique Darjeeling tea be reinstated and that all closed gardens be reopened by the government. Even the Union government should not wash their hands from this,” added Sumendra.

Courtesy and source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/tea-trade-unions-to-launch-rally-in-kolkata-on-jan-20-548730