Workers of several tea gardens operated by the Merico Group on Monday began a sit-in protest in front of the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner at Birpara in Alipurduar district, alleging prolonged non-payment of wages and widespread violations of labour laws.
A high-level meeting on agri voltaics in tea gardens was held in the city.
The tea industry in Assam and West Bengal is grappling with a severe greenfly infestation, which has emerged as a major agronomic threat over the past two years, significantly impacting tea yield and quality.
Tea estates can now use up to five percent of their land for oil palm cultivation while receiving financial assistance through NMEO-OP.
Even though winter is still far away, the Tea Board of India has already revealed the official dates for harvesting and preparing tea in 2024.
The DTDPLU leader added that the company had not only deposited its share of the Provident Fund (PF), but had also not deposited the share of the workers, due to which retired people have not been getting their PF for three years now.
“All the workers are coming out to resume their duties as they have come to know that that garden owners would not pay wages without work,” sources said.
The plucking resumed following permission from the state government to use 25 percent workforce, based on an order issued by the Union Home ministry for using 50 percent workforce.
Given this scenario, a section of tea garden owners, who are still against the government's order to pay wages, are wondering what the government will do against an employer, who does not have money due to the lockdown, surrenders after failing to make such payments.
Chief medical officer of health for Jalpaiguri district, RN Pramanik, admitted that no proper test has been conducted among the migrant workers to see if they are carriers of the novel coronavirus.
