Tea workers resorted to protests on various issues in Jalpaiguri's Nagrakata and Banarhat blocks on Tuesday.

While the workers of Hope tea estate in Nagrakata demonstrated against the absence of drinking water supply in their quarters, those working in four tea estates owned by Andrew Yule & Company staged a highway blockade, demanding their wages and other dues.

Andrew Yule is a public sector organisation that functions under the Union ministry of heavy industries and public enterprises. In Bengal, it owns four tea estates, Banarhat, Karballa, New Dooars and Chunabhutti, all of which are in Jalpaiguri district. Around 5,000 workers serve in these tea estates.

Around 150 workers of Hope, led by the Progressive Tea Workers’ Union, reached the entrance of the garden’s factory around 8am and questioned why they were not getting drinking water at their doorsteps.

Kishore Goala, the garden unit president of the union, said there were around 1,100 workers in the garden. But in around eight clusters of workers’ quarters, where around 850 workers reside with their families, there was no drinking water supply.

“Water connection has reached the bungalows and quarters of the managerial staff and some employees. Why should workers be deprived of a drinking water facility at their quarters?” he asked.

Protesters Diwas Rai and Supriya Rautia echoed him. “We have to walk some distance with pots and pans to get drinking water. If a water supply scheme has been taken up in the garden, why are we not getting water at our quarters?” asked Rautia.

The demonstration continued for about an hour. “If steps are not taken to address the issue, we will intensify our movement,” Goala said.

In Banarhat, nearly 400 workers from the four Andrew Yule tea estates walked up to the NH17 and staged a blockade from 3.20pm. They alleged that although norms state weekly payment of wages, they have not been paid for the past five weeks.

Tabarak Ali, a leader of Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union, also said that for almost two years, provident fund was deducted from the workers’ wages by the authorities, but the sum was not deposited with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

The highway blockade continued for over 30 minutes, during which traffic movement came to a halt along a stretch of the highway. A team from Banarhat police station reached the spot and managed to clear the road by around 4pm.

“If our wages are not paid immediately, we will resort to such protests again,” said worker Amit Hembram.