More than 1,000 tea workers were left jobless on Saturday as the manager of the Mogulkata tea estate in Banarhat, Jalpaiguri, abandoned the estate, citing
labour unrest.
According to workers, the management failed to clear a fortnight’s wages, while 4 per cent of the Puja bonus was pending.
“The management had promised on Tuesday that due wages would be paid, but did not keep his word,” said Tuntuni Das, a worker.
In protest, the workers had staged a sit-in demonstration on Friday outside the manager’s office.
“On Friday evening, after completing work, we held a three-hour sit-in outside the manager’s office and returned home around 7pm. This morning, when we reached the garden at 7am, we found it locked. The manager and assistant manager were not present in the bungalow. Leaving the garden without paying wages and without notice is completely unjustified,” said Saraswati Gope, another worker.
Prem Oraon, the garden unit secretary of the Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union, stated that the workers continued working despite not receiving their dues.
“There was no disturbance. Why did the management leave the garden? Around 8,000 quintals of green tea leaves collected by workers are lying in the factory. If these get damaged, the owners may falsely blame the workers. We will not allow this,” said Oraon.
Echoing similar concerns, Gupta Munda, unit secretary of the BJP-backed Bharatiya Tea Workers’ Union (BTWU), said that apart from unpaid wages, provident fund contributions were not being deposited, and gratuity payments were also pending.
“The workers did not create any unrest. Despite assurances, wages were not paid on Tuesday. The protest on Friday was peaceful. We fail to understand why the management took such a step,” he said.
Lalan Vishwakarma, the garden’s manager, claimed that he had informed higher authorities about the pending wages.
Continuous sit-ins by workers had created a tense situation, he claimed.
“We felt insecure and left the garden,” he said.
Sources in the district labour department said a tripartite meeting had been convened on Monday to resolve the issue.
Unrest
Fresh trouble surfaced at the Dharanipur tea estate of Nagrakata block, where workers on Saturday morning confined the manager to his chamber to protest unpaid dues. They also said they would not work till their dues were paid.
Ahead of Durga Puja, the garden had closed over bonus troubles. The management had promised at a tripartite meeting that a part of due wages and the bonus would be paid by November 18.
The garden reopened on November 17, but dues were not cleared till date. Anup Oraon said that they would not work till they are paid.