The staff and the sub-staff of the Kilkott tea estate in Jalpaiguri district launched a “dharna” on Monday to press for the immediate payment of their salaries.

“The staff and the sub-staff of the garden have not yet received their salaries for January. On Friday, we had submitted a memorandum to the manager, saying if the dues were not cleared by Saturday, we would launch a demonstration today,” said Prakash Nayak, a central committee member of the Trinamul Cha Bagan Sramik Union who is based in Kilkott.

He added that the sit-in demonstration in the garden in Matiali block would continue until the management disbursed the salaries to the staff and the sub-staff.

Sources said the Kilkott estate had 38 staff and sub-staff members a few years back. After a section of them retired, the number is 26.

The employees assembled in front of the garden’s factory on Monday morning and launched the protest. They shouted slogans throughout the day, demanding immediate payment of their salaries.

“The management is regularly paying the workers’ wages. We fail to understand why they are holding back our salaries. These days, it is tough to run our families,” said one of the demonstrators.

Snomita Kalindi, the TMC president of Matiali block, went to the garden and spoke to the garden manager as well as the demonstrators.

“We have told the manager to see that the salaries are paid at the earliest,” she said.

Atul Rana, the garden’s manager, said the management was arranging funds to pay the salaries. “Today, the staff and the sub-staff didn’t join their duties. We are trying to arrange funds to pay their due salaries,” said Rana.