Workers of three tea gardens under the Alchemist Group of India have threatened to go on a hunger strike from March 20, to press upon the management to clear dues of Rs.5 crore that have accumulated since the past one year.
According to the Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union (DTDPLU) affiliated to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), the management had failed to pay dues which included provident fund and
gratuity of workers for one year, distribution of ration and LTA. “The workers of the three tea gardens have not got their PF and gratuity for the past one year. And ration and other facilities have been denied to them by the management. In all dues worth Rs.5 crore have accumulated,” DTDPLU general secretary Suraj Subba said on Sunday.
The Alchemist Group of India owns the Dootriah, Kalej Valley and Pesokh tea gardens which produces orthodox and china tea leafs that are exported to countries like Germany, Austria, Singapore, UAE and the USA. The plantation areas of the three gardens are spread across 756 hectares.
The trade union was also critical about the attitude of the garden management alleging they had failed to turn up in meetings to discuss the issue. “On February 24 we had invited the company management to discuss the issue but they did not turn up. On previous occasions too we tried to hold talks. But each time the management gave us no response. Under such a circumstance we have no other option but to a start hunger strike program to get the attention of the management,”
Subba said.
With the company management not paying heed to their demand, workers of the three tea gardens in February had called staged a “pen down” strike, but later resumed work. “We have called a meeting again on March 19 at the assistant labour commissioner’s office in Darjeeling to sort out the issue. If, the management does not turn up then we will start our agitation from the next day,” warned Subba.
The management of the three tea gardens could not be contacted for their response on the hunger strike threat, but Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) principal advisor Sandeep Mukherjee, said over the phone from Siliguri that he had not received any communication regarding the meeting on March 19. “We have not received any information about the meeting. However having said that we appeal to the trade union to not start the hunger strike as it will affect the first flush plucking season. We will try to sort out the matter through talks,” he said.
Plucking for the first flush that fetches premium price in international market starts in March that goes on till May. Then after a gap of 15-20 days the second flush plucking starts in the Hills. However, the first flush in earnest has not started because of irregular rainfall this year. At least three inches of rain are required for plucking to start.
The Dootriah tea garden has 1200 workers while Kalej Valley and Pesokh have 642 and 570, respectively with a collective production of 450,000 kg of Darjeeling tea leaf, annually.
Source: EOI
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| Tea garden Workers threatened to go on a hunger strike |
gratuity of workers for one year, distribution of ration and LTA. “The workers of the three tea gardens have not got their PF and gratuity for the past one year. And ration and other facilities have been denied to them by the management. In all dues worth Rs.5 crore have accumulated,” DTDPLU general secretary Suraj Subba said on Sunday.
The Alchemist Group of India owns the Dootriah, Kalej Valley and Pesokh tea gardens which produces orthodox and china tea leafs that are exported to countries like Germany, Austria, Singapore, UAE and the USA. The plantation areas of the three gardens are spread across 756 hectares.
The trade union was also critical about the attitude of the garden management alleging they had failed to turn up in meetings to discuss the issue. “On February 24 we had invited the company management to discuss the issue but they did not turn up. On previous occasions too we tried to hold talks. But each time the management gave us no response. Under such a circumstance we have no other option but to a start hunger strike program to get the attention of the management,”
Subba said.
With the company management not paying heed to their demand, workers of the three tea gardens in February had called staged a “pen down” strike, but later resumed work. “We have called a meeting again on March 19 at the assistant labour commissioner’s office in Darjeeling to sort out the issue. If, the management does not turn up then we will start our agitation from the next day,” warned Subba.
The management of the three tea gardens could not be contacted for their response on the hunger strike threat, but Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) principal advisor Sandeep Mukherjee, said over the phone from Siliguri that he had not received any communication regarding the meeting on March 19. “We have not received any information about the meeting. However having said that we appeal to the trade union to not start the hunger strike as it will affect the first flush plucking season. We will try to sort out the matter through talks,” he said.
Plucking for the first flush that fetches premium price in international market starts in March that goes on till May. Then after a gap of 15-20 days the second flush plucking starts in the Hills. However, the first flush in earnest has not started because of irregular rainfall this year. At least three inches of rain are required for plucking to start.
The Dootriah tea garden has 1200 workers while Kalej Valley and Pesokh have 642 and 570, respectively with a collective production of 450,000 kg of Darjeeling tea leaf, annually.
Source: EOI
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