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Our Bureau

Kolkata, Aug. 11

Normal operations in West Bengal’s 280 tea gardens scattered over Darjeeling hills and Dooars and Terai regions came to a halt on Monday as more than three lakh workers employed in these gardens observed a strike in protest against the collapse of the wage revision talks. There was no plucking of leaves, nor was there any production in tea factories or movement to and from the gardens.

Mr Chitta De, Convenor of Coordination Committee of Tea Plantation Workers, West Bengal, a body of 18 different unions of tea garden workers, congratulated the workers for making the strike a total success.

The West Bengal Government, he hoped, would take note of it and prevail upon the tea garden owners to be more responsive to the demands of the workers, Mr De observed.

Mr Samir Roy, Convenor of the Defence Committee of Plantation Workers’ Rights, said the unions would meet on August 13 to decide on the future course of action. A spokesman of the Indian Tea Association, the body of tea garden owners, conceded that the strike was total.

Fresh rounds of negotiations must be initiated soon to bring an end to the current impasse though no date had yet been finalised for the talks, he said.

A spokesman of Tea Association of India, whose members have 46 gardens in Dooars, felt that the unions had pitched their demands at such a high level that conceding them would render another two dozen gardens sick.

Already, about 13 gardens were closed in the State. Apprehending further disturbances, a Darjeeling tea garden owner felt that the suspension of the plucking of leaves in time would spell disaster for the Darjeeling gardens as the tender leaves would become hard and the quality would suffer, and with it, the exports. “The tea market has just started looking up after several years of recession and the present stalemate, if continues, will deal a severe blow to the Darjeeling gardens”, he added.

More Stories on : Tea | Trade & Labour Unions

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