Showing posts with label Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labor Union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labor Union. Show all posts

Darjeeling Terai Dooars Tea garden Workers threatened to go on a hunger strike

10:09 PM
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.
Tea garden Workers threatened to go on a hunger strike
Tea garden Workers threatened to go on a hunger strike
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

Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labor Union (DTDPLU) on strike

12:01 PM
The Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labor Union (DTDPLU) on Friday decided to call a two day industrial strike on November11 and 12 in the tea gardens of the Hills to demand implementation of the minimum wage.
Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labor Union (DTDPLU) on strike
Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labor Union (DTDPLU) on strike
The Joint Forum for Implementation of Minimum Wage comprisin21 garden unions of the plains and hills of which the DTDPLU is also a member had announced a strike in the tea gardens on November 11 and a general strike the next day with their demand.

The decision was taken in a central committee meeting of the trade union in Darjeeling. “We sat for discussion today with our union members and have decided not to call the general strike. It is the

tourist season in the Hills presently and schools will have their annual examinations from November 10,” said Suraj Subba, the DTDPLU general secretary.

The trade union however has decided to enforce two-day bandh in the tea gardens of the Hills along with gate meetings. “We will extend our support by not working for two days on November 11 and 12, instead of a general strike. We will stage gate meetings on both the days, too,” said the union leader.

The trade union wants the state government to implement a minimum wage act in the tea gardens. Presently, garden workers are receiving daily wages at the rate of Rs.90 which was increased from Rs.67.

“Our demand is that the state government fix a minimum wage for the workers like in agriculture sector,” said Subba. The leader said the union was forced to take the decision to call bandhs as the state government in-spite of eight rounds of meetings has failed to take necessary measures to meet the demand. “The government has only given us verbal assurances after the meetings and there is nothing in black and white. This cannot continue and we have to take a stringent stand hence the strike call,” Subba said.

Source: EOI

 
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