Gangtok, May 5: Around 500 workers of Temi Tea Garden did not join their duties today demanding payment of pending increments.

Spread across almost 10 acres in South Sikkim, Temi is the only tea garden in the state that was established by the Government of Sikkim in 1969.

The daily wage of the workers was increased from Rs 200 to Rs 220 in November last year.

"The daily wage was increased by Rs 20 in November 2014 and still, we continue to get Rs 200. We want early release of the arrears for around six months," said Sanjay Gadal, the president of the Temi Workers' Union run by the All Sikkim Democratic Labour Front, a frontal unit of the SDF.

This morning, the workers assembled outside the office of the garden's general manager, Ravi Kumar, and submitted a letter to him demanding early payment of the increased wages.

"The general manager has given us in writing that the pending money will be released soon," said Gadal.

The working hours in the garden are from 7am to 4pm six days a week.

Ravi Kumar said the delay in payment was because of funds crisis.

The secretary of the department of commerce and industries, D. Anandan, said the pending wages would be released from next month. "I have spoken to the general manager and asked him to make the payment from the miscellaneous funds," he said.

Tea from the garden is in demand at the international market. The brew is mostly exported to countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Japan.