Ahead of Puja season, Trade unions call for 12-hour general strike in Darjeeling and Kalimpong over bonus for workers

Pathak also said that tea garden workers would gather in front of their factories and not attend work starting Tuesday.

Ahead of the Durga puja festival, the trade unions from Darjeeling hills have called a 12-hour general strike on Monday in the region after the fourth round of 20 percent tea bonus talks for Darjeeling gardens failed on Sunday.

The strike has paralyzed the Hills that left at least hundreds tourists from the plains stranded in Siliguri on Monday.

As per inputs, in response to the failure of bonus negotiations, Saman Pathak, a trade union leader and former Rajya Sabha MP, announced the strike, emphasizing the need for fair compensation for tea garden workers.

The meeting in Siliguri on Sunday lasted nine hours but did not resolve the deadlock, as workers are demanding a 20 per cent bonus while management is offering only 13 per cent.
Pathak, a leader from the Parvatiya Shramik Sangathan Sammanaya Mach (PSSSM), said: “We strictly follow our demand for a bonus of 20 percent. The management’s offer of 13 per cent is unacceptable. We request everyone’s support.”

“We will no longer accept any advisory of the labour department regarding bonus if it is less than 20 per cent,” said Pathak.

“Hence, we have decided to appeal to all to observe a 12-hour strike from 7am to 7pm on Monday. The workers will come out on the streets and appeal for a strike,” said Suraj Pathak.
Pathak also said that tea garden workers would gather in front of their factories and not attend work starting Tuesday.

Since Sunday morning, tea garden workers have protested outside Shramik Bhawan, demanding a fair bonus ahead of the festive season, citing rising living costs.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament, Darjeeling and National Spokesperson BJP, Raju Bista supported the workers protest for a fair bonus.

In a statement, Bista said, “After requesting with folded hands for months, the Tea Industry, the Labour Department and the Govt. of West Bengal have taken a tone-deaf attitude towards the request from the workers for a fair bonus. In desperation, the workers have called for an 12-hours strike tomorrow, Sept 30th, 2024.”

“Our full support and solidarity is with the workers in their quest for justice, and a fair bonus. I request everyone to respect the request of the tea garden workers to keep this a purely non-political strike, called by the workers and called for the workers’ rights. Despite request for intervention, WB Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ji, inspite of being in North Bengal, has completely ignored the plight of the tea workers,” he added.

“This shows that the people of Darjeeling don’t matter to the Chief Minister and the WB Govt. Those who are running Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and claim to be working closely with TMC and WB Govt should rethink their position,” he further added.

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