Around 1,000 workers of the Debpara tea estate, in the Banarhat block of Jalpaiguri, marched to the local police station on Sunday and filed a complaint against the garden management alleging they were not paid wages for the last three months.

Their Puja bonus was also not paid, they said.

They were accompanied by leaders of the Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union (TCBSU).

“Since Durga Puja, there has been a growing lack of coordination between the management and the workers. Due to non-payment of dues, most of us have stopped working after the festival. We were staging protests and sit-in demonstrations, but there has been no change in the situation. That is why we went to the police station and filed a complaint,” said Gouri Seal, a worker.

Last Friday, a group of workers had launched an indefinite hunger strike in front of the tea garden — which has around 1,900 labourers — over the demand for payment of dues and some other issues.

Sanjay Kuzur, the vice-president of TCBSU, went to the garden on Saturday and persuaded them to withdraw the hunger strike.

On Sunday, Kuzur went to the police station with the aggrieved workers.

They said they have not received wages for the past three months, and the employees' salaries are also due.

“The Puja bonus has not yet been disbursed. Also, money was deducted from our wages for the provident fund, but it was not deposited with the PF authorities. Some retired workers have not received their gratuity. Also, there is no medical service or school bus facility for the children,” said a worker.

Officials of the district labour department in Jalpaiguri said they had convened a meeting on Monday to resolve the stalemate.

“Tomorrow (Monday), a meeting will be held to discuss issues related to the Debpara tea estate,” said Subhagata Gupta, the deputy labour commissioner of Jalpaiguri.

Kuzur expressed disgruntlement with the Debpara management. “The garden cannot continue to operate in this way. We will see what happens in tomorrow’s meeting. If the management fails to clear the dues and run the garden properly, we will demand that a new owner be brought in," he said.

Representatives of the garden authorities could not be contacted. Amitanghu Chakraborty, the principal adviser of the Indian Tea Planters’ Association — of which Debpara is a member — said they will attend the meeting on Monday.