he 48-hour tea strike called by the joint forum of 23 trade unions demanding immediate revision of wages of three lakh-odd garden workers and fixing of minimum wages in the industry was total across north Bengal today.
Workers of around 300 tea gardens in Darjeeling, the Terai and Dooars did not join work from this morning on the first day of the 48-hour shutdown.
"Tea workers across north Bengal have spontaneously supported the strike. They will also participate in tomorrow's strike that we have called over the demands of wage revision and fixing minimum wages for the industry," said Chitta Dey, the convenor of the Co-ordination Committee of Tea Plantation Workers. "We have been harping on the demands since March this year. But the garden owners are not ready to give a decent hike on the existing daily wage of Rs 95 (in plains) and Rs 90 (in hills). We want to make it clear that if the issue is not resolved immediately, we will have to launch a more extensive movement."
North Bengal has 300-odd tea gardens.
Along with the 48-hour tea strike, the joint forum has also called a 12-hour general strike tomorrow.
"People working as casual labourers in other sectors are earning over Rs 250 a day while tea workers are getting not even half of it. This cannot be accepted any more," Dey said.
Today, tea workers from the Dooars and Terai were seen assembling in front of the entrances and factories of the estates, raising slogans and demonstrating.
Trinamul Congress trade union is the only union that has not joined the industry-wide strike. This afternoon, Inttuc leaders claimed their supporters had worked in most gardens. "During the Left Front rule, strike was a major problem which had also affected the state's economy. After our government came to power, it has worked a lot for tea workers and reopened closed tea estates," Mithu Mohanta, the district Inttuc secretary of Jalpaiguri, said. "We oppose the strike as it would only affect the industry. Most of the gardens were open today and our workers have joined duties."
In Siliguri, north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb said the administration would put in all efforts to keep life normal during the 12-hour general strike called in some areas tomorrow. "As negotiations are on to resolve the issue of wage revision, there is no point in calling a general strike and cause inconvenience to people. The administration will take all necessary steps to prevent attempts to impose the strike. There will be additional buses of NBSTC on the roads and people will defy the strike," he said.
Tomorrow, the 12-hour general strike has been called in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts and the subdivisions of Siliguri, Islampur and Mekhliganj in Darjeeling, North Dinajpur and Cooch Behar districts, respectively.
Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union, the tea trade union of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, will not observe the 12-hour general strike in the hills tomorrow. "We have participated in the tea strike today and we will also participate in the tea strike tomorrow. But as exams are on in schools across the hills, we will not observe the general strike," Suraj Subba, the general secretary of the Morcha union, said.
Gautam Ghosh, the general secretary of Citu-backed Darjeeling Zilla Chia Kaman Mazdoor Union, said: "Today's strike in the tea industry was a success and we hope that the second day of strike will also be successful. We also feel that people will support the general strike, called in the interest of three lakh tea workers and their families."
This morning, a section of tea garden workers, mostly from the Dooars, walked out of the estates to work as day labourers in nearby agricultural fields or construction sites. "We are not entitled to today's wages as a strike was being observed. We will walk up to a nearby agricultural field where paddy is being harvested. We can get Rs 200 as wage, which can compensate today's loss," Mina Bhumij, a worker of Danguajhar on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri, said. Sanjoy Lakra, a casual worker from the same garden, headed to Jalpaiguri to work at a construction site where he could earn Rs 250.
Schools and hospitals in the gardens were open today.
Source: Telegraph
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| A deserted Happy Valley tea garden in Darjeeling on Tuesday. Picture by Suman Tamang |
"Tea workers across north Bengal have spontaneously supported the strike. They will also participate in tomorrow's strike that we have called over the demands of wage revision and fixing minimum wages for the industry," said Chitta Dey, the convenor of the Co-ordination Committee of Tea Plantation Workers. "We have been harping on the demands since March this year. But the garden owners are not ready to give a decent hike on the existing daily wage of Rs 95 (in plains) and Rs 90 (in hills). We want to make it clear that if the issue is not resolved immediately, we will have to launch a more extensive movement."
North Bengal has 300-odd tea gardens.
Along with the 48-hour tea strike, the joint forum has also called a 12-hour general strike tomorrow.
"People working as casual labourers in other sectors are earning over Rs 250 a day while tea workers are getting not even half of it. This cannot be accepted any more," Dey said.
Today, tea workers from the Dooars and Terai were seen assembling in front of the entrances and factories of the estates, raising slogans and demonstrating.
Trinamul Congress trade union is the only union that has not joined the industry-wide strike. This afternoon, Inttuc leaders claimed their supporters had worked in most gardens. "During the Left Front rule, strike was a major problem which had also affected the state's economy. After our government came to power, it has worked a lot for tea workers and reopened closed tea estates," Mithu Mohanta, the district Inttuc secretary of Jalpaiguri, said. "We oppose the strike as it would only affect the industry. Most of the gardens were open today and our workers have joined duties."
In Siliguri, north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb said the administration would put in all efforts to keep life normal during the 12-hour general strike called in some areas tomorrow. "As negotiations are on to resolve the issue of wage revision, there is no point in calling a general strike and cause inconvenience to people. The administration will take all necessary steps to prevent attempts to impose the strike. There will be additional buses of NBSTC on the roads and people will defy the strike," he said.
Tomorrow, the 12-hour general strike has been called in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts and the subdivisions of Siliguri, Islampur and Mekhliganj in Darjeeling, North Dinajpur and Cooch Behar districts, respectively.
Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union, the tea trade union of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, will not observe the 12-hour general strike in the hills tomorrow. "We have participated in the tea strike today and we will also participate in the tea strike tomorrow. But as exams are on in schools across the hills, we will not observe the general strike," Suraj Subba, the general secretary of the Morcha union, said.
Gautam Ghosh, the general secretary of Citu-backed Darjeeling Zilla Chia Kaman Mazdoor Union, said: "Today's strike in the tea industry was a success and we hope that the second day of strike will also be successful. We also feel that people will support the general strike, called in the interest of three lakh tea workers and their families."
This morning, a section of tea garden workers, mostly from the Dooars, walked out of the estates to work as day labourers in nearby agricultural fields or construction sites. "We are not entitled to today's wages as a strike was being observed. We will walk up to a nearby agricultural field where paddy is being harvested. We can get Rs 200 as wage, which can compensate today's loss," Mina Bhumij, a worker of Danguajhar on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri, said. Sanjoy Lakra, a casual worker from the same garden, headed to Jalpaiguri to work at a construction site where he could earn Rs 250.
Schools and hospitals in the gardens were open today.
Source: Telegraph
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