Salary arrears to be paid in Jalpaiguri tea gardens after meet in Kolkata

MP, 8 Aug 2024, Alipurduar: In a significant development, it has been decided that arrears of salary will be paid to workers in four tea gardens — New Duars, Karbala, Chunabhatti and Banarhat — in Jalpaiguri acquired by the Central government. 

This decision emerged from a tripartite meeting held at Nizam Palace in Kolkata on Monday. Under pressure from the plantation workers’ movement, the Central government convened this meeting to address the ongoing issues. 

Leaders from trade unions, plantation owners and a top official from the Central government’s Labour department participated. Key attendees included Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union (TCBSU) leaders Nakul Sonar, Robin Rai and Joseph Munda; Ziaul Alam from CITU; Manikumar Darnal from the Congress workers union and Jayaraj Biswakarma from BTWU. 

TCBSU Chairman Nakul Sonar commented: “A marathon meeting has taken place. We never claim a meeting is 100 per cent successful; however, there have been positive outcomes. Workers on the four plantations will receive at least seven weeks of overdue wages. 

The plantation management has indicated that payment of these dues will commence soon. Additionally, efforts to normalise operations in the gardens will begin and we will promptly send the meeting minutes to the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries. We are hopeful that the situation in the four gardens will significantly improve before Puja.” 

The Andrew Yule Company, currently overseeing these gardens, has been grappling with complications for about three years. Earlier this year, operations in the gardens nearly came to a standstill. Workers are still owed substantial amounts in provident fund (PF), gratuity and salary arrears. 

Over the past two years, the arrears in PF and gratuity alone amount to approximately Rs 11 crore. Nakul Sonar highlighted: “A total of five garden centres have been acquired, four in Jalpaiguri and one in Darjeeling, affecting about 7,000 tea workers. We had previously sent at least seven letters to the Union Ministry, and the workers also staged protests.” 

This tripartite meeting, the first of its kind held by the BJP-led Central government regarding the acquired gardens, is viewed by labour leaders as a significant success for the tea workers’ movement. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/people-return-from-bangladesh-with-tales-of-living-in-constant-fear-574925?infinitescroll=1