Workers’ Unrest Intensifies in North Bengal Tea Gardens as Bonus and Wage Disputes Escalate

KalimNews, September 25, 2025, Gorubathan : A deepening crisis has gripped tea estates in Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri districts as disputes over unpaid wages and government-mandated Puja bonuses led to strikes, shutdowns, and highway blockades, severely affecting both production and public life.

The turmoil began at Lower Fagu Tea Garden in Gorubathan, Kalimpong district, where management has suspended operations since September 19, 2025, following a standoff over bonus payments. Despite a state government advisory on August 22 mandating a 20% bonus for tea garden workers, management insisted it could only pay 8.3%. The Calcutta High Court, hearing the management’s appeal, dismissed their plea and stated that they are liable to pay the full 20% bonus by September 26, 2025. The court also instructed the state labour department to ensure payment of .

Lower Fagu workers, backed by unions affiliated with multiple political parties, have been staging protests in the tea garden gate meeting, across Gorubathan BDO Office and Pan Danra, demanding their due. The dispute escalated on September 18, when workers allegedly gheraoed the garden manager, confined him for nearly 12 hours, and damaged property. Police later rescued him, but the incident deepened mistrust and led to the management, Subarnapur Tea Estate Pvt. Ltd., withdrawing its staff citing safety concerns. While essential services like water and electricity remain functional, regular operations are suspended.

Lower Fagu, which produces Dooars CTC tea, has struggled financially for years, producing only 1.4 lakh kg of made tea in 2024 and earning Rs 2.57 crore. Management cited these constraints, noting it had reduced bonuses in earlier years (15% in 2022-23, 11% in 2023-24). However, with most Darjeeling and CTC-producing gardens in the region having already disbursed the full 20% bonus, workers rejected management’s justification. Unions have urged NGOs not to distribute relief material, arguing it would weaken the ongoing movement.

The unrest has spread beyond Kalimpong. On Wednesday, hundreds of workers from Bagrakote Tea Garden in Jalpaiguri blocked National Highway 17 for nearly three hours, disrupting traffic between Siliguri and the Dooars via Mina More, Oodalabari, and Sevoke. The blockade was lifted only after authorities assured action. Workers said they have four months of pending wages, and while management offered 10% bonus in two installments, they demanded full payment before Puja along with arrears.

Protester Purnima Tamang explained: “We were ready to accept the 10% bonus if it was paid fully before Puja, along with pending wages. But the management refused, so we blocked the highway. We will continue if our demands are not met.” Another worker, Paban Pradhan, added that even staff with two months’ unpaid wages joined the protest.

Similar discontent brewed at Dharanipur Tea Garden in Banarhat, where management announced only an 18% bonus in three installments instead of the state-mandated 20%, sparking further demonstrations.

Kalimpong district has six major tea gardens — Samabeong, Ambeok, Upper Fagu, and Mission Hill producing Darjeeling tea, while Lower Fagu and Kumai produce CTC tea. Except Lower Fagu, most have already settled the Puja bonus. But with tensions mounting, workers and unions insist they will continue protests until the directives are honored in full, making this one of the most serious tea sector disputes in recent years.