Tripartite meeting today to break bonus impasse in Longview TE

EOI, Darjeeling, Oct 22, 2024: Even as a section of workers continues to stage a relay hunger strike in the Longview tea garden demanding a 20 percent bonus, the Deputy Labour Commissioner on Tuesday called a tripartite meeting to discuss the present state of affairs in the garden. 

The Deputy Labour Commissioner, Baladeb Mondal, has invited the Himalayan Plantation Workers Union (HPWU), Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union (DTDPLU), Hill Terai Dooars Plantation Workers Union (HTDPWU), Trinamool Chia Bagan Shramik Union (TCBSU), and the Hill Plantation Employees Union (HPEU) for a tripartite meeting at the Shramik Bhawan in Siliguri on Wednesday.

The HPWU, DTDPLU, HTDPWU, and the TCGSU are affiliated to the Gorkha National Liberation Front, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, and the Trinamool Congress, respectively, while the HPEU is an independent trade union. 

"We had written to the assistant labour commissioner to intervene. The garden is closed. Workers are demanding their full bonus. The situation is not very conducive for work in the garden. We want the government to create and ensure a stable atmosphere," said Maniraj, a leader of the BGPM party.

According to sources, a section of the workers of the Longview tea garden, owing allegiance to the HPEU, have been on a relay hunger strike for the past fifteen days, demanding a 20 percent bonus and other pending benefits. 

"Sixteen percent bonus was fixed according to the government advisory. However, the owners only approved a 10 percent bonus. Also, the manager of the garden has locked the garden and fled. This has created a precarious situation in the garden," said the source.

Before the Dasai festival, negotiations failed to break the bonus deadlock for the 87 tea gardens of the Hills. The management refused the 20 percent bonus demand and instead offered 13 percent. 

With the stalemate, the state government was compelled to intervene after four rounds of meetings and issued an advisory of 16 percent bonus to the workers.

As soon as the advisory was announced in the public domain, the management started depositing the 16 percent bonus into the accounts of the workers.

However, trade unions under the Parwatiya Shramik Sangathan Samavaya Manch (PSSSM), comprising eight unions, refused to accept the government advisory. 

As a result, the state labour department invited the trade unions for a meeting on November 6 at Nabanna to discuss the remaining 4 percent bonus demand. 

However, the lingering process of negotiations has dismantled the PSSSM, with differences cropping up among the trade unions. 

The Hamro Party union Hamro Hill Terai Dooars Chia Shramik Sangh (HHTDCSS) is leaving the PSSSM.

"We formed the PSSSM for the bonus demand ahead of the Dasai festival. However, it seems we are not on the same page. Differences have started to crop up. Some unions are taking unilateral decisions. This idea did not augur well for the workers, and hence we have decided to part ways," said D.K. Gurung, president of the HHTDCSS.

The HTDPWU alleged political leaders of the member trade unions are creating confusion and inciting the workers. 

"Leaders of some parties are provoking the workers with wrong statements on the bonus issue. This is against the interest of the PSSSM and the talks with the government. We will not budge from our demand for a 20 percent bonus. We will present our arguments on why we should get a 20 percent bonus before the government in the November 6 talk," said J.B. Tamang, president of the HTDPWU.

With uncertainty hovering over the tea gardens of the Hills, the management of the Baneckburn and Singtom tea gardens have locked and left.