Jalpaiguri: Tea workers block national highway, demand 15% bonus instead of the proposed 10%

MP, 3 Oct 2024, Jalpaiguri: Tea workers of Grassmore Tea Estate in Nagrakata blocked National Highway No. 17 on Thursday, demanding 15 per cent bonus instead of the proposed 10 per cent. 

The protest, which began at around 10 am, halted traffic until district police intervened and lifted the blockade at around 4 pm. Grassmore Tea Estate has 1,170 permanent workers and about 500 temporary workers. 

On September 28, tea workers’ unions met with the garden management, demanding a 15 per cent bonus for this year’s Durga Puja. However, the management expressed their inability to meet the demand, agreeing to pay only 10 per cent. On Friday, the bonus was given to 227 workers. 

The remaining employees did not receive anything leading to growing frustration. By Wednesday, workers surrounded the management in protest, which escalated to Thursday’s road blockade. 

All garden operations were suspended as workers demanded their full bonuses, creating a standstill on the Nagrakata-Banarhat section of the highway. 

Sanjay Kujur, vice-president of the Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union’s Central Committee, said: “While some workers received bonuses, the majority did not. After days of waiting, workers took to the streets, blocking the highway as part of their protest.” 

Sukhmit Oraon, a protesting garden worker, explained: “Every year there is a problem with the bonus. This year is no different, so we decided to protest.” The Nagrakata police confirmed that the blockade has been lifted and the situation is under control. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post:

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/those-who-malign-bengal-are-insulting-their-birthplace-mamata-582036?infinitescroll=1