A tea estate in the Alipurduar district closed down on Saturday, leaving 501 workers jobless.
The management of of Turturi tea estate, in the Kumargram block around 42km from the district headquarters, announced work suspension, citing some issues, including paucity of funds.
The notice served by the garden’s manager mentioned a pest attack in the plantations, which lowered the yield of tea leaves, and said operations could not be continued in view of the present manpower cost.
When workers went to the garden office on Saturday morning for their attendance as usual, they found the notice issued by the management and informed the trade
union leaders.
Senior tea trade union leaders slammed the management for the move and sought immediate intervention of the state labour department to expedite the garden’s reopening.
“We are surprised by the decision as it comes during the peak season and tea production is on in full swing. The management might have faced some problems, but it could have consulted workers before making a sudden move like this,” said Nakul Sonar, the chairman of the Trinamool Cha Bagan Shramik Union (TCBSU).
The workers said that they were yet to get wages for eight fortnights (four months). In tea industry, wages are usually paid on a fortnightly basis.
A senior garden worker added that around 50 workers had retired but not received their gratuity and provident fund.
With Turturi, the number of closed tea gardens has increased to five in the district. There are 65 tea estates in Alipurduar.
The closure comes a day ahead of a meeting convened by the TCBSU. On Saturday, the Trinamool union will hold a meeting in Birpara to discuss the unusual closure of tea estates during peak season and irregularities in the payment of wages in some gardens that are open.