Tea workers in Jalpaiguri protest, demand immediate wage revision

Jalpaiguri (WB): Twenty-seven trade union organisations representing tea garden workers in the Terai-Dooars region in north Bengal on Monday took out several processions demanding wage revision. [caption id=“attachment_2088405” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image.[/caption] The trade unions under the consortium of a Joint Forum resorted to “Bhukha Michchil” (hunger procession) in all the tea garden areas of north Bengal, including Darjeeling district, Convener of the Forum Zia-ur Rahman said on Monday. Tea garden workers carrying empty utensils on their heads brought out the processions in the districts demanding wage revision and implementation of the Minimum Wages Act for tea garden workers, Rahman said. Six tripartite meetings between tea workers, trade union leaders, tea garden owners in Uttarkanya (the mini secretariat) in Siliguri since September last year has failed to address the grievances of the tea garden workers. A total of three and a half lakh tea garden workers in north Bengal have been hit by the lack of wage revision, Rahman said. Manohar Tirke, General Secretary of Dooars Tea Garden Workers Union, said eight tea gardens in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts were closed. However, activity in the tea gardens was not affected as workers, who work in shifts, took out the processions while off duty, Tirke said. PTI