Singbully Tea Estate to Reopen on March 24 Following Agreement

KalimNews, March 22, 2025, Kalimpong: After prolonged discussions, an agreement has been reached to reopen the Singbully Tea Estate, which had been closed following a management decision. The estate will resume normal operations, including tea leaf plucking, from March 24, 2025.

The closure stemmed from the management’s withdrawal of its staff from the garden on March 6, 2025, citing financial losses caused by workers’ refusal to pluck tea leaves. In response, the trade unions operating in the garden intervened to resolve the dispute. A joint conference was initially held on March 18, 2025, at Shramik Bhavan, Siliguri, followed by another meeting today, March 22, 2025, at the same venue. After extensive discussions, a mutual agreement was reached between the parties based on the following terms:

The garden will fully resume its operations, including leaf plucking, from March 24, 2025.

Discussions on the Charter of Demands (COD) and other issues raised during today’s meeting will begin within seven days of reopening and will be resolved within one month.

Representatives of central trade unions and the Singbully Tea Estate unit have assured their commitment to following management directives to ensure productivity and maintain a disciplined work culture.

The period of work suspension will be treated under the "No Work, No Pay" principle, without affecting the workers’ service conditions or statutory dues.

Both parties have pledged to maintain peace and harmony within the tea garden.

The joint meeting, held today at Shramik Bhavan, was attended by representatives from trade unions including HTDPWU, DTDPLU, and HHTDCSS, along with the management of Singbully Tea Estate and the Assistant Labour Commissioner of Kurseong.

This agreement marks a significant resolution in ensuring stability and productivity within the estate, with both workers and management committing to a harmonious working environment.