Hill tea trade unions go soft on bonus demand after invitation for Nabanna meet on Nov 6

EOI, Darjeeling, October 6, 2024 ; Following an invitation from the West Bengal Labour Department on Saturday to tea trade unions in the hills agitating for a 20 percent bonus for a meeting at Nabanna in Kolkata on November 6, leaders of the unions have decided to go soft on their ongoing agitation. They have urged the workers to maintain peace in the tea gardens.

Unions of eight political parties have grouped together under the banner of Parwatiya Shramik Sangathan Samavaya Manch (PSSSM) to demand a 20 percent bonus for the workers of the tea gardens of the hills. On Sunday, the PSSSM held a meeting in Darjeeling to discuss the invitation of the West Bengal Labour Department for November 6 in Kolkata and to chalk out new strategies for the agitation.

"We received, on Saturday, an invitation from the West Bengal Labour Minister to sit for a talk in Kolkata on November 6. Respecting the invitation, we (PSSSM) have decided to attend the meeting to press for a 20 percent bonus for the workers," Suraj Subba, president of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-affiliated trade union, said.

Five rounds of talks between the trade unions and garden management, brokered by the State Labour Department, have failed to settle the bonus rate. The Labour Department has issued an advisory to grant a 16 percent bonus to the workers. The trade unions are adamant about the 20 percent demand. Several owners have already deposited 16 percent to the bank accounts of the workers, while in some tea gardens, the workers have refused to accept the bonus.

Subba chose to read the invitation of the State Labour Department as a victory of sorts. "Usually, after an advisory is issued, no further talks are held. But this time, the State Labour Department has set aside the advisory and called us for bonus talks. We are hopeful of a positive result on November 6," he said, attributing the development to the intense and sustained protest by the workers.

A 12-hour strike was enforced in the hills on September 30, demanding a 20 percent bonus. A massive rally of workers was organized the next day as a show of strength. Regular gate meetings are being organized as part of the agitation.

"We are only softening our mode of agitation. Our agitation will continue till November 6. Sometimes, we have to take a step back to leap forward with more vigour," said Bharat Thakuri, the general secretary of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha-affiliated trade union.

The PSSSM has decided to start a campaign seeking the signature of the workers of all 87 tea gardens of the hills to leverage their negotiation during the November 6 talks. "Since the talk will be held after a month, we cannot undertake an intense mode of agitation. We also cannot ask the workers to stop the agitation. We have therefore decided to start a signature campaign across the tea gardens. We will place the papers in front of the officials before the start of the talk," Saman Pathak, former Rajya Sabha MP and veteran CPI (M) leader, said.