Plantation workers to go on strike today for wages

Plantation workers to go on strike today for wages

11 August 2011

statesman news service
SILIGURI, 11 AUG: More than two lakh tea workers belonging to over 32 trade unions affiliated to the Left Front, Congress and other parties in the Terai and the Dooars called a 12-hour general strike in north Bengal on 12 August demanding fresh wage agreement and variable dearness allowance (VDA).
The three-day strike called by them from 10 August was total in over 200 tea plantations on its second day today. The tea workers led by their trade union leaders today took out processions in different tea plantation areas in support of the 12-hour general strike tomorrow.
The Trinamul Congress on principle decided not to support the strike. The Adivasi Vikas Parishad also decided not to join the strike officially. Mr Chitta Dey, convenor of the coordination committee for tea plantation workers, said: “A total of two lakh tea workers would participate in the general strike tomorrow. Tea workers have observed strike from 10 August in 54 tea plantations in the Terai and 154 tea plantations in the Dooars demanding their rights.”
Mr Datta said that a section of GJMM and ABAVP-backed tea workers had responded to the movement today though they were not members of the coordination committee.
Left Front leaders today alleged that ABAVP leaders, backed by the Trinamul Congress, had tried to break the unity among the agitating tea workers in different plantations. Mr Asok Bhattacharya, former state urban development minister, said that last night the ABAVP leaders had announced the settlement of wage agreement in different tea plantations areas to confuse the agitating workers, including the Adivasi people, engaged in tea plantation.
Mr Asok Bhattacharya and Mr Jibesh sarkar, the CPI-M state committee member, organised the workers at the Citu-dominated Gulma Tea Estate today in support of the 12-hour general strike.
Addressing the meeting at Gulma, Mr Bhattacharya said: “Nothing has been  finalised about the wage agreement between the state and the ABAVP leaders after the meeting in Kolkata.”
Urging the workers to observe the strike, the former minister, said: “We have demanded a minimum wage of Rs 160 per day for a permanent tea worker. The state would have to take initiative to introduce the VDA.”

Rs 68 cr loss due to bandh: TAI
The Tea Association of India (TAI), north Bengal branch, has estimated loss of Rs 68 crore due to strike called by the trade unions from 9 August in the Terai-Dooars region.
The TAI officials fear that the estimated loss may go up if the strike continues in this region.