Bonus rate 'bias' bone of contention for workers: Andrew Yule workers protest ‘payment partiality’ compared to Assam counterparts

 On Tuesday, tea workers staged protests at two sites in the Jalpaiguri district, voicing their frustration over the bonus rates

Workers of Andrew Yule and Company stage a road blockade on NH31C at Banarhat in Jalpaiguri on Tuesday. : Biplab Basak

TT, Jalpaiguri, 02.10.24 :  Discontent among workers regarding the bonus issue persists in the Dooars, despite a bipartite agreement reached last month between planters' associations and tea trade unions.

On Tuesday, tea workers staged protests at two sites in the Jalpaiguri district, voicing their frustration over the bonus rates.

In Banarhat, workers of the four tea estates owned by Andrew Yule & Company — Banarhat, New Dooars, Chunabhati and Karbala — walked up to National Highway31C and raised a road blockade at 10am. Around 5,000 workers serve in the four tea estates.

Andrew Yule & Company, a central government undertaking, functions under the Union ministry of heavy industries.

"At the bipartite talks, it was agreed that bonus would be paid at the rate of 16 per cent at one go. The managerial representatives at the gardens are saying that they will pay it in two instalments. That is why, we have resorted to the road blockade,” said Sanjib Toude, a worker.

He said that the company is paying a bonus at the rate of 20 per cent to workers at its tea estates in Assam. “Even then, we agreed to accept the bonus at a lower rate. But we want to be paid at one go ahead of the Durga Puja,” he added.

Traffic movement came to a halt along the Chalsa-Banahat-Binnaguri stretch of the highway because of the blockade. Officials from the Banarhat block administration and the police rushed to the spot and spoke with the demonstrators.

They refused to withdraw the protest which continued till 7pm and was withdrawn only after the management assured early payment of the bonus.

On the other hand, workers of Nagaisuri and Kilkot tea estates reached the office of the district magistrate on Tuesday to discuss the bonus issue. At both the gardens, it was decided through bipartite talks that bonus would be paid at nine per cent rate as these are "sick gardens".

A delegation of them met additional district magistrate Priyadarshini Bhattacharya and demanded that the administration should intervene so that they are paid bonus at a higher rate. Bhattacharya, however, said that the decision was already made at the bipartite meeting.

“She was ready to speak on other issues but not on bonus as the rate has already been decided,” said a source.

This left the workers disgruntled as the delegation came out of the office and demonstrated in front of the district collectorate but left after some time.

“We will accept the bonus at nine per cent rate but simultaneously demand that the management should move out if they cannot address the workers' concerns,” said Bira Oraon, a worker at Nagaisuri.

There are around 1,700 workers in Nagaisuri and another 1,300 in Kilkot.

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph

https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/bonus-rate-bias-bone-of-contention-for-workers-andrew-yule-workers-protest-payment-partiality-compared-to-assam-counterparts/cid/2052422