Tea planters from the Dooars region have raised the issue of low productivity and lower price realisations ahead of the crucial bonus meeting for this year, indicating that they are unwilling to match last year’s figure.
The bonus meeting for the 163 gardens in the Dooars is scheduled to be held virtually on August 29.
A meeting on this year’s bonus for the 87 gardens of Darjeeling took place on Friday.
The tea industry from the plains had first agreed to a bonus of 16 per cent of the workers annual earnings last year.
The same percentage had been a yardstick during negotiations for the Darjeeling
hill gardens.
Dooars planters have indicated they would push for a reduced bonus payout this year, citing lower production in the Terai and the Dooars in 2024 compared to 2023.
Trade unions, however, have made it clear they will not accept any reduction from last year’s rate.
According to industry sources, production in the Dooars garden fell from 159 million kg in 2023 to 133 million kg in 2024.
“This decline will likely be used by planters as the main argument in the upcoming bonus negotiations, with further meetings scheduled in Calcutta on September 6 or 7,” said a source.
The Darjeeling gardens for the first time in its history is pushing for an attendance linked bonus system given high absenteeism in the hill gardens.
Citing an example the hill planters have circulated a draft stating that 16 per cent bonus could be given to workers with attendance of 240 days or more working days in a year, 14 per cent for those within 191-239 days, 12 per cent for 151-190 days and 8.33 per cent for 30-150 days.
The rates have not been fixed and are only being cited as an example. The proposal, however, has been rejected by hill unions who are demanding 20 per cent — the highest bonus rate, this year.
Planters in the Dooars, however, said that had no plans to push forward attendance linked bonus rates for their gardens and instead stressed on the “crisis in the industry.”
“There is an acute crisis in the industry because last year production was low, and this year prices are lower,” said Ram Avtar Sharma, the Birpara branch secretary of the Indian Tea Planters’ Association (ITPA). “Everything will be discussed, and ultimately the rate of bonus will be fixed unanimously.”
But unions are holding firm. “Workers gave their labour to the industry and deserve their bonus,” said Nakul Sonar, Chairman of the Trinamul Cha Sramik Union. “Under no circumstances will we accept an amount less than last year’s.”
According to planter association sources, some gardens have already been unable to pay monthly wages due to the combined impact of low production and falling prices, with wages for several fortnights still pending in a number of estates.
The tea industry in north Bengal employs around 3 lakh workers and bonus negotiations have always been a major bone of contention between the workers and the management.