Tea union demands more bonus

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 10: On the eve of the festive season the UTUC affiliated Dooars Cha-Bagan Workers' Union declared that they will not accept bonus lesser than yesteryear. At the council meeting of DCBWU that was held at Alipurduar they demanded that the price of tea in the market is good enough and it was evident from the price rate that was found during auctioneering. In this perspective the owners of the tea gardens should increase the rate of bonus this year.

 

State UTUC secretary Mr Ashok Ghosh, Jalpaiguri district RSP secretary Mr Rana Sen, Alipurduar MP Mr Joachim Buxla, Ms Kumari Kujur (MLA), Mr Nirmal Das (MLA), Mr Hiralal Lakra, Mr Phillip Khalko and other senior leaders, attended the DCBWU meeting.

 

At the meeting the leaders mentioned that the government had declared that it would take over tea estates if the owners concerned fail to reopen the closed and abandoned tea gardens by 31 August. But 17 tea gardens are still lying closed. The DCBWU leaders demanded implementation of the government plan to straight up the things.

 

Jalpaiguri district RSP secretary Mr Rana Sen said, they would organise a massive movement demanding solving of the problems the workers of closed tea gardens suffering from. The movement will be organised after resolving of the bonus issue. The proposed stir would be raised upto state and Central level, he declared. If necessary they will call a bandh in north Bengal to highlight the problems of the tea workers, Mr Sen said.

 

Jalpaiguri district UTUC secretary Mr Nirmal Das said the government is not doing anything for the interest of the poor tea workers. The much-publicised financial aid package was declared for the owners of the tea estates only. "We demand similar package for the workers' benefit", he said. []