Plantation workers’ strike total in Terai & Dooars, ma

Plantation workers’ strike total in Terai & Dooars, many held

12 August 2011

statesman news service
SILIGURI, 12 AUG: The 12-hour general strike at tea plantations in north Bengal was total in the Terai and the Dooars while it failed to evoke much response in  other districts of the region.
The strike was called by more than 32 trade unions, affiliated to the Left Front, Congress and other political organisations ~ except the Trinamul Congress ~ demanding hike in wages of tea plantation workers.
Normal life was paralysed in Siliguri and the Dooars due to the strike. Jalpaiguri town, however, was affected partially. Barring some stray incidents in the Terai and the  Dooars, the strike passed off peacefully. More than two lakh tea garden workers observed the strike in more than 200 tea plantations in the Terai and the Dooars. The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha-backed tea workers union and the breakaway groups of the ABAVP extended support to the strikers. Though the Trinamul Congress was against the strike, more than 3,000 tea workers belonging to the INTTUC extended support to the strike to maintain workers’ unity in the Jalpaiguri tea belt.
In Siliguri, government and private vehicles were off the road. Government offices, banks and other nationalised financial institutions remained closed for the day. All business establishments, market complexes in Siliguri were shut. Most of the educational institutions asked students not to attend schools due to lack of transport. The North Bengal University authorities postponed the day's examinations.
Siliguri police arrested more than 200 strikers belonging to Citu, Intuc and others organisations. Police have registered cases against some agitators on charges of blocking National Highway 31 at Bidhan Nagar in Siliguri.
The former state urban development minister, Mr Asok Bhattacharya, and other CPI-M leaders sat on the road at Hashmi Chawk in Siliguri protesting against arrest of their supporters, including three district youth and student leaders. Mr Bhattacharya alleged that police had arrested them following instructions from Trinamul Congress leaders. The former minister withdrew his agitation when police assured him that they would be released within an hour. A group of Trinamul leaders took out rally against the strike in Siliguri this evening.
In Jalpaiguri, police arrested around 100 strikers for blocking National Highways, preventing employees from entering government offices. Police were alerted when tension was mounting following altercations between the Adivasi Vikas Parishad-backed trade union workers and strikers at Moraghat, Chamurchi and some other places. The strike was total at Dabgram Industrial Growth Centre in Jalpaiguri. The Jalpaiguri SP, Mr Anand Kumar, said: “Except some stray incidents, the strike passed off peacefully in Jalpaiguri. Around 100 persons were arrested and released later.” The former RSP MP, Mr Joachim Buxla, who is also Jalpaiguri district INTTUC president, said: “The strike was total in the tea belt. Our workers supported the strike to maintain workers’ unity.”
Criticising the role of the ABAVP, Mr Buxla said: “Workers of the ABAVP, a non-governmental organisation, tried to open more than 10 tea plantations in the Dooars.” The convener of the 22 trade unions’ coordination committee, Mr Chitta Dey, claimed the strike was total, except some stray incidents. Mr Dey criticised the role of ABAVP leaders who protested against the strike.
The small tea plantations were affected partially due to the strike. The strikers had not forced workers to support the strike. In Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and North Dinajpur many small tea plantations were open. Workers attended their duties in 10,000 small tea plantations where the strike evoked mixed response, Mr Dey said.

ABAVP strike on 17 & 18 AUG
The ABAVP today convened a tea plantation strike in the Terai-Dooars on 17 and 18 August. The outfit president, Mr Birsa Tirkey, said the bandh was convened in protest against the apathy of the planters regarding their wage-hike demand. The outfit would also convene a three-day north Bengal strike beginning 22 August on the same issue.