The Hindu Business Line : `Bengal not complying with SC order on plantation workers'

MEMBERS of an international union delegation alleged that the West Bengal Government is not implementing the orders of the Supreme Court regarding the welfare of the starving plantation workers of the North Bengal tea industry.

The delegation claimed that it had visited several tea gardens in North and South India and according to them a large number of tea gardens in Assam and Kerala might face similar hardships like West Bengal gardens.

It may be noted that since November 2003 reports of starvation deaths were coming in from the West Bengal tea gardens.

According to some surveys, approximately 21 tea gardens in Bengal have closed down affecting more than 21,000 workers and a population of 95,000.

The delegation members represented the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations, or in short, IUF.

The body has Indian affiliates and with the leading central trade unions such as CITU and AITUC it formed the All India Tea Workers Coordination Committee.

Members of IUF have asked the respective State Government to comply immediately with the Supreme Court ruling on the public interest litigation filed on the Right to Food and Work.

"This must be done immediately to alleviate starving conditions and deteriorating health situations among the Indian tea garden workers," said Ms Teresa Mackay, Vice-President of IUF. According to Ms Meena Patel of IUF, nine tea gardens in Assam and 17 estates in Kerala are similarly affected.

"Overall, 65,000 to one lakh plantation workers are suffering in these three States,'' she said. The delegation will report to the IUF executive committee, which will meet in Geneva, Switzerland at the end of April.

From there, the report will go to the International Labour Organisation, the UN Food & Agriculture Organisation and the tea packing companies of European Union.

The delegation members have also asked the owners and companies of the affected tea estates to fulfil there legal obligations including the payment of workers' wage arrears, provident fund and other dues.

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