Back to work: Women pluck tea leaves in Denguajhar Tea Estate on Tuesday. Picture by Biplab Basak

Jalpaiguri, July 26: Cheers that greeted the tea deal struck last night gave way to cries of despair as reality sunk in.

Some workers went back to work today after the 15-day strike, but a substantial number stayed away as they saw the agreement as a breach of trust by the union leaders, whose “poor performance” has disappointed them.

“What were the leaders doing? It was not at all necessary to go on a 15-day strike, sit for numerous rounds of meetings with planters and the government just for an increase of Rs 2.50. Had we sat with our garden owner and asked him to give us this hike, he would have relented,” said Ramesh Kuzur, a labourer of Denguajhar tea estate here as he joined his colleagues in observing “Black Day”.

The strike, by 3.5 lakh labourers in the 350-odd tea gardens in the state, ended late last night after labour unions and planters arrived at an agreement overseen by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

The workers had demanded a rise in basic wages to the tune of Rs 88, which was refused by the planters, who wanted to link it to productivity. A settlement on revised daily wage was reached and it was decided that there would be an increase of Rs 2.50 from April this year. For the next year, the increase would be Rs 2.50 while the third year would see an increment of Rs 3.

Workers serving in tea gardens like Newlands, Kumargram and Sankosh ? all three located in Alipurduar ? alleged that the agreement had failed to serve their interest.

The union leaders, however, said everything is peaceful in the tea industry. “Work in all tea gardens has started. As far as beginning of production is concerned, the management of the estates will take the decision,” said Samir Roy, convener of the Defence Committee of Plantation Workers’ Rights, an apex body of unions.

The planters, who are now worried that they have to “dress tea bushes” before collecting leaves for production, said they have finally succeeded in implementing the productivity-model in the industry. Workers would not be penalised for failing to meet daily targets, but assessed every week.

“We need to wait 10-15 days for production because before that we won’t get quality leaves,” said N.K. Basu, the principal adviser to the Indian Tea Planters’ Association.

Prabir Bhattacharya, the secretary of the Dooars Branch of the Indian Tea Association, said: “We have clearly mentioned that in no way are in a position to pay arrears of two years as had been demanded.”