Unions to write to state on Hill tea bonus issue

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 3 Oct 2024, Darjeeling: The Parvatya Shramik Sanghatan Sammanaya Mach (PSSSM - a conglomeration of all operating tea garden workers unions of the Darjeeling Hills) will be writing to the state government urging that the state take steps to meet the demand of 20 per cent bonus of the Hill tea garden workers. 

Thursday will see gate-meetings in all hill tea gardens and also the continuation of the embargo on tea despatch from the factories. 

Thousands of tea garden workers took to the streets of Darjeeling on Wednesday with the demand for a 20 per cent bonus, under the aegis of PSSSM. However, with frontal leaders of the trade unions affiliated to the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) and the TMC remaining inconspicuous on Wednesday, the PSSSM put on hold discussions to chalk out the future course of action for a day or two. 

“Out of the 8 unions in the PSSSM, two were missing in the programme on Wednesday, despite the trade union affiliated to the BGPM having given the call for Wednesday’s rally. JB Tamang, the president, is hospitalised owing to ill health. We will wait for them to join and in a day or two chalk out our future course of action. 

In the meantime the gate meetings, dharnas and halt on tea despatch will continue. We will write a strong letter to the government asking them to call us. We will explain to them as to why we are demanding the 20 per cent bonus and that it is justified and absolutely logical. We will convince them regarding the 20 per cent and urge them to take out a fresh advisory,” stated Suraj Subba, trade union leader. '

Hill political observers opine that trade union leaders affiliated to the TMC and BGPM have been caught on a sticky wicket with the PSSSM outright rejecting the State Government advisory of a 16 per cent bonus. 

Dubbing the advisory as an undemocratic imposition, the trade unions claimed that it has been out right been rejected by the workers. “On one side TMC is the ruling party and BGPM, an ally. It will be difficult for them to reject the advisory. 

On the other side they have to prove their allegiance towards the workers- a catch twenty-two situation,” stated a political observer. 

“None of the trade unions accept the 16% bonus. We will continue the united agitation for 20 per cent . It is a people’s government. Their action should be pro-worker. It is time the Government proves its pro-worker claims,” stated Saman Pathak, trade union leader. 

Meanwhile there were reports of 16 per cent bonus being deposited in the bank accounts of workers in some tea gardens. On the heels of Mirik, tea garden workers blocked the main thoroughfare in Kurseong, bringing traffic to a standstill for hours on Wednesday. 

Courtesy & source - Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/unions-to-write-to-state-on-hill-tea-bonus-issue-581852