New Labour Codes to Benefit Tea and Cinchona Workers, Says Raju Bista

BIKASH CHETRY, EOI, GUWAHATI, NOV 21, 2025: Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of the people of the Darjeeling hills, Terai, and Dooars after the Centre brought into effect four labour codes from Friday. Bista said the decision marked an important moment for workers across north Bengal, especially those employed in tea gardens and cinchona plantations.

In a statement, the MP said the new labour codes—Code on Wages, Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, Industrial Relations Code, and the Code on Social Security—would replace 29 older labour laws that had become outdated over the years. These laws were passed by Parliament in 2019 and 2020, but their implementation had been delayed because some states, including West Bengal, had taken more time to frame the required rules.

Bista said the scrapping of old laws such as the Plantation Labour Act of 1951 would help create a simpler and more transparent system. According to him, the new framework would make working conditions better and ensure more benefits for people in tea gardens and cinchona estates. He said many families in these sectors would now receive higher wages, improved facilities, and access to health services.

He said that the Code on Wages had introduced a national floor wage, which meant no worker would be paid below a minimum standard set for the entire country. The law also ensured that workers receive their wages on time. The implementation also required employers to issue appointment letters to all workers, provide free annual health check-ups for those above 40 years of age, and extend social security benefits such as provident fund, insurance cover, and ESIC facilities.

Bista said these steps would especially help women workers, who will now have equal opportunities and stronger protection at workplaces, including clear rules for night shifts.

Bista added that the reform would benefit not just plantation workers but workers of many other categories. The simplified system of registration and licensing would also support local industries in north Bengal and help create more jobs. Calling the decision historic, the MP said it underscored the government’s commitment to building a fair and modern workforce. He said the new codes acknowledged the contribution of every worker from tea gardens to industrial units in shaping the nation’s growth.