The Jalpaiguri District Small Tea Growers’ Association (JDSTA) has finally decided to start paying interim relief of Rs 17.50 to workers in response to an appeal made by the Trinamul Congress-backed trade union, following an order of the state labour department.

The state labour department has recently issued an order and asked planters in the organized tea sector to start paying interim relief with effect from 1 January 2018 so that daily-rated permanent workers can be paid Rs 150 a day.

It may be noted that majority planters in the Hills have not yet started paying the interim relief. Though the JDSTA accepted the request of the Trinamulbacked Terai Dooars Plantation Workers’ Union for execution of the government’s order, its secretary Bijay Gopal Chakraborty criticized the work culture of tea workers and sought help from the unions so that they work for eight hours.

“The work culture among workers has not yet developed despite written prayers to the unions. If such a situation, as well as absenteeism, continues, small tea plantations will be closed down,” Mr Chakraborty said.

He also criticized the role of the state government for the development of the small tea growers. It may be noted that Mr Chakraborty, the president of the CISTA (Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association), recently urged the north Bengal development minister, Rabindranath Ghosh, to see to it that the state government issues seeking no-objection certificates for using tea garden land.

Visibly upset, Mr Chakraborty said: “Not a single small grower has got the no-objection certificate from the state government for using land for tea plantations ever since the Trinamul Congress government came to power.” In reply, Mr Ghosh said: “The state government has decided to keep it in abeyance, following complaints of tribal land-grab.”

On the other hand, state labour commissioner Abhinav Chandra, who is a member secretary of the Minimum Wages Advisory Committee, has called a 10th meeting on 12 March in Kolkata to discuss the minimum wages for tea workers. Almost all trade unions have been demanding implementation of the minimum wages for tea workers in north Bengal.