Labourers of Turturi tea estate in Alipurduar district didn’t join their work on Tuesday, a day after the plucking of tea leaves commenced in the Terai and the Dooars, demanding immediate payment of their due wages.

The management has held talks with trade union leaders and is trying to arrange funds to break the deadlock.

The Turturi garden in the Alipurduar 2 block has 501 workers.

“We are supposed to get wages of two fortnights. The management was supposed to clear the dues on Sunday. As no payment was made, none of us joined the work. We will start plucking only after our dues are paid,” said a worker.

The trade union leaders said the workers in Turturi were reluctant to join duties. “We understand their demand and have told the management to disburse the wages. We are talking to the workers to normalise the situation. The new season has just started and such an impasse is undesirable,” said Birendra Bara, the president of the Trinamool Cha Sramik Union.

Representatives of the management, however, claimed that wages of one, and not two fortnights, are due.

“We are trying our best to pay the due wage soon. The workers should cooperate as such a halt in work at the beginning of the season would only affect the garden,” said Prantik Sarkar, a deputy manager of the tea estate.