Phanighata TE-1700 workers rendered jobless

Siliguri. A suspension of work notice was hung today at Phanighata Tea Estate in Darjeeling following disputes between the management and labour unions over non-payment of dues, rendering about 1,700 labourers jobless. Police and civil officials said when the workers went to begin the day s work at the 1,400-acre tea garden near Naxalbari under Kurseong sub-division, they found the notice at the gate. Union leader Kishor Pradhan alleged that the management was not paying their enhanced pay and kept the same due for the past seven months.

Under a new agreement in tea gardens in the Dooars and Terai, the daily wage is now Rs 75 per labour, an increase of Rs 18 from previous Rs 67. Mr Pradhan, a former Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) leader, who now leads an anti-Gorkha Janmuikti Morcha union, with support from CITU, said the management was not paying their (workers) dues, besides failing to deposit Provident Fund arrears up to Rs 78 lakh with the PF funds. He said the owner of the tea estate, B Agarwal, was gheraoed by the workers on Friday last and had assured to part some dues by December 25. But instead of paying anything, the management put up suspension notice after the workers resented the non-payment on Monday.

The garden has about 900 permanent workers and some 800 casual labourers. The garden, situated in the Terai, had faced lock-out twice in 2007 and 2008. Mr Pradhan threatened that if the management failed to lift suspension of work and pay their dues soon, the workers would force open the garden and start work on their own. This was the second tea garden that came under suspension notice after Tur Turi tea estate in the Dooars in last few days.

(UNI)