Workers agitate for Longview reopening amid ongoing hunger strike and wage disputes

 The Longview plantation, which is near Garidhura, witnessed demonstrations and other forms of agitation by workers in the past couple of months

Longview Tea Estate in Kuresong: File image

Bireswar Banerjee, TT, Siliguri, 29.10.24: A section of workers has been holding a relay hunger strike demanding the reopening of the Longview tea estate that has been closed since October 16.

The garden is located around 25km from here and is in the Kurseong subdivision.

The Longview plantation, which is near Garidhura, witnessed demonstrations and other forms of agitation by workers in the past couple of months. They were demanding that the management clear wage dues and pay the bonus at a higher rate.

For the past 21 days, the workers have been on a relay hunger strike in the garden over these demands. On Monday, a group of workers, accompanied by representatives of some rights groups, said they wanted the garden to reopen at the earliest.

“The management has disbursed a bonus of 10 per cent and transferred the money to our accounts. But we have not yet received our wages for the past two months. Also, we want the bonus at a 20 per cent rate,” said Geeta Debi Rawat, a woman worker at Longview.

“The state labour department should take necessary steps to expedite the reopening of the garden,” she added.

Samik Chakraborty, an executive committee member of the Hill Plantation Employees’ Union (HPEU), said the company that owns the garden, had not deposited ₹15 crore in the provident fund accounts of the workers since 2013.

“Also, around ₹1.90 crore is due on account of wages, salaries, gratuity and under some other heads,” Chakraborty said.

“Earlier, it had a plantation area of around 1,000 hectares and about 1,200 permanent workers. But now, the plantation area has reduced to almost half while the number of workers is 350,” added Chakraborty.

“We don’t know whether the management is intentionally trying to make the garden sick and has some other plans,” added the leader of the trade union.

Sources said at a tripartite meeting organised by the state labour department on August 28, the management had said it would clear the dues by making part payments till December this year.

Avijit Majumdar, who represents Srijan, a Siliguri-based rights group, said the state government should immediately intervene.

“There were several instances where the state labour department was negligent in resolving such issues. Altogether, around 25 tea estates are close now in this region. It is high time that the department takes prompt and effective steps to facilitate the reopening of these gardens,” said Majumdar.

Shyamal Dutta, the additional labour commissioner (north Bengal zone), said: “Necessary steps will be taken to reopen the Longview estate.”

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph

https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/workers-agitate-for-longview-reopening-amid-ongoing-hunger-strike-and-wage-disputes/cid/2059108