Workers of the Nagaisuree tea estate in Matiali block, Jalpaiguri, were in for a surprise on Monday morning, wage day.

The estate manager, Sunil Panowar, was not in the garden.

The manager did not serve any notice but left the garden, workers said.

There are around 1,200 workers in the garden. Their wages remained unpaid.

As the news spread, the workers assembled in front of the garden’s factory and resorted to protests. Later, some of them walked up to the Matiali police station and filed a complaint, alleging that Panowar left without clearing their dues.

“Today (Monday), the management was supposed to pay the wages for February. But in the morning, the siren didn’t blow, which was unusual. Usually, a siren blows in tea estates to alert the workers about the start of their duty hour. As we went to the factory, we learned that the manager left the garden,” said Christian Kheria, a representative of the Paschimbanga Cha Mazdoor Samiti.

“The employees present in the garden have no inkling as to when their February wages would be paid. We are in a fix and want the management to pay our dues,” he added.

Bondhu Oraon, a worker, said they had no idea why the manager had left the garden. “We don’t know whether regular activities will resume in the garden from tomorrow (Tuesday). The new tea season has just commenced and such a move by the manager has left us worried,” said the worker.

The workers, sources said, have also informed the BDO of Matiali, the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri, and the state labour department about the situation.

Panowar or other representatives of the estate’s management could not be contacted by this newspaper.

Officials of the state labour department said they are looking into the issue.

“If required, we will convene a tripartite meeting to resolve the issue,” said
an official.