Recently, the tea garden workers in North Bengal have observed a series of strikes. These strikes have been spearheaded by the Coordination Committee of Tea Plantation Workers Union (CCTPWU), the largest conglomeration of tea unions (with the exception of All India Trinamool Congress Labour Union). It represents the tea workers unions of the Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars region in North Bengal. The CCTPWU has called on the strike demanding a justified increase in the daily wages of tea workers to Rs. 322 from the present abysmal rates of 90 rupees in Darjeeling Hills along with 95 rupees in the Dooars and the Terai regions. The proposed rate, as CCPTWU argues, perceptively reflects the pervasive negative impact of spiralling inflation on the ground and is hence termed just and fair deal.
In response to this, the planters/tea estate owners have proposed a counter offer to increase wage by Rs. 21 in three years. Such an offer is nothing but cruel mockery of the demand of workers for a decent standard of living. The hike of Rs 7 in wages every year is way too low and discriminatory. The Bengal government when in negotiations with Planters/tea estate owners and the tea unions instead has been advocating an increase of Rs. 40 that too in a phased manner in three years — to Rs 18, Rs 11 and Rs 11, respectively. Even the CCTPWU’s demand of declaring the minimum wages prescribed for tea garden workers (to be made public by the State Government) is not being heeded.
Any serious wage bargaining has to be about real wage and not nominal wage because at the end its the amount of goods and services which you can buy from that money that matters, not the actual amount of money. Nominal wage means income you receive in money terms. Real wage means how much real goods and services you can buy from that amount of money. It reflects the purchasing power of money. Higher the inflation, higher will be the decline of the purchasing power of money. The actual inflation in past three years in Darjeeling and Dooars area has been around 8.07% per annum( Source: Labour Bureau, Government of India 2014). Keeping the 8.07 % annual inflation in mind for past three years, any increase in wage below Rs.27 will actually not be wage increase at all but rather be wage cut. Hence the current proposal of increasing Rs.21 or Rs.40 in three years will be actually a wage cut. (Purchasing power of Rs.90 of 2011 = Purchasing power of Rs.116.62 in 2014)
The CCPTWU argues that even the minimum wages given to the agricultural labourers under MNREGA scheme is Rs. 167 per day in West Bengal .This is almost double of what the tea workers are presently availing of in the tea gardens.
We the Gorkha Students,(Jawaharlal Nehru University) stand in complete solidarity with ongoing resistance of tea garden workers in their just demand. We, along with other like-minded students and individuals from the University hold this strike as the right way to move forward and encourage the CCPTWU to hold steadfast to their demand. We also encourage other like-minded people and groups to come out and support and encourage CCPTWU in their hour of need and support.
Sd/
Gorkha Students, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Submitted by Dawa Sherpa
In response to this, the planters/tea estate owners have proposed a counter offer to increase wage by Rs. 21 in three years. Such an offer is nothing but cruel mockery of the demand of workers for a decent standard of living. The hike of Rs 7 in wages every year is way too low and discriminatory. The Bengal government when in negotiations with Planters/tea estate owners and the tea unions instead has been advocating an increase of Rs. 40 that too in a phased manner in three years — to Rs 18, Rs 11 and Rs 11, respectively. Even the CCTPWU’s demand of declaring the minimum wages prescribed for tea garden workers (to be made public by the State Government) is not being heeded.
Any serious wage bargaining has to be about real wage and not nominal wage because at the end its the amount of goods and services which you can buy from that money that matters, not the actual amount of money. Nominal wage means income you receive in money terms. Real wage means how much real goods and services you can buy from that amount of money. It reflects the purchasing power of money. Higher the inflation, higher will be the decline of the purchasing power of money. The actual inflation in past three years in Darjeeling and Dooars area has been around 8.07% per annum( Source: Labour Bureau, Government of India 2014). Keeping the 8.07 % annual inflation in mind for past three years, any increase in wage below Rs.27 will actually not be wage increase at all but rather be wage cut. Hence the current proposal of increasing Rs.21 or Rs.40 in three years will be actually a wage cut. (Purchasing power of Rs.90 of 2011 = Purchasing power of Rs.116.62 in 2014)
The CCPTWU argues that even the minimum wages given to the agricultural labourers under MNREGA scheme is Rs. 167 per day in West Bengal .This is almost double of what the tea workers are presently availing of in the tea gardens.
We the Gorkha Students,(Jawaharlal Nehru University) stand in complete solidarity with ongoing resistance of tea garden workers in their just demand. We, along with other like-minded students and individuals from the University hold this strike as the right way to move forward and encourage the CCPTWU to hold steadfast to their demand. We also encourage other like-minded people and groups to come out and support and encourage CCPTWU in their hour of need and support.
Sd/
Gorkha Students, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Submitted by Dawa Sherpa
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