Tripartite meeting to decide on the increase in the wages of tea garden workers in the Dooars and the plains

Kolkata: A tripartite meeting to resolve long pending wage revision dispute for tea workers ended inconclusively Sunday as representatives of workers, tea-garden owners and West Bengal government failed to reach any consensus on various issues.

"The meeting, which ended inconclusively, will be again held on Monday with the Labour Commissioner and Labour Secretary attending it," state Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee told reporters after a two and half-an-hour long meeting at the state secretariat.
 
Chatterjee, however, added that despite ending inconclusively, the meeting achieved some progress.
 
The meeting, attended by 37 trade unions representing tea garden workers and the garden owners' forum Consultative Committee of Planters' Association (CCPA) was convened by state's Labour Minister Purnendu Bose in presence of Chatterjee and NorthBengal Development Minister Goutam Deb.

Chatterjee, however, said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere with the ministers listening to both the representatives of workers and tea-garden owners as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accorded priority for the development of this sector.
 
Chatterjee said that the tea-garden workers have also been requested to clear all statutory dues including PF of the workers immediately. "If the owners have any problem to clear dues of statutory benefits to the workers, they are welcome to seek guidance from the government. Otherwise the government will act with appropriate steps," Chatterjee cautioned.

Different trade unions earlier demanded renewal of the agreement between the workers and owners with enhanced wages of the workers. The previous agreement signed in 2008 lapsed on March 31 this year.

The unions, representing over 3 lakh tea garden workers, demanded hike in wages to Rs 130 per day from Rs 67 at present.

The tea garden workers in Darjeeling are getting Rs 90 per day following a bipartite agreement between the workers and owners, while the workers in Dooars and Terai region stick to their demand for much higher wages.

Even as 14 gardens were closed a few months back, at present one plantation remained closed, Bose said.
-PTI

Offerings at N.India tea auctions show marginal rise

Kolkata, Sept. 4: 

Last week at sale no 35, the total offerings (packages) at three North Indian auction centres, Kolkata, Guwahati and Siliguri, were 3,96,189 as compared to 3,81,216 in the corresponding sale of last year, according to tea auctioneers, J Thomas & Company Pvt Ltd.

However, the offerings at Kolkata were lower at 1,79,687 kg (1, 89,168 kg) largely due to lower offerings of Orthodox at 27,414 kg (50,616 kg). The offerings of CTC/Dust at 1,46,176 kg (1,33,656 kg) and Darjeeling at 6,097 kg (4,896 kg) were higher.

The offerings at Guwahati were higher at 1,34,811 kg (1,01,947 kg) but those at Siliguri were lower at 81,691 kg (90,101 kg).

Assam teas

Assam CTC teas maintaining quality were around last while the remainder were irregularly lower. There was good demand for the plainer sorts which sold readily. Dooars were irregular around last levels. Tata Global was the mainstay, while there was fair enquiry from Hindustan Unilever on the leaf grades and good support on the dust grades.

Western India dealers were active for the liquoring sorts. There was fair enquiry from North India and from local sections. Exporters operated primarily on bolder brokens.

exports

Well-made Orthodox whole leaf and broken grades were firm while the remainder were irregularly lower. Continental buyers were selective.

Darjeeling whole leaf varieties sold at irregular rates. Brokens and fannings sold at around last levels. There was useful enquiry from traditional exporters as well as the major blenders. Local dealers operated for the brokens and fannings.

-The Hindu

 Tea wage meet fails

Calcutta, Sept. 4: A tripartite meeting to decide on the increase in the wages of tea garden workers in the Dooars and the plains from Rs 67 a day proved inconclusive today as planters insisted that they would effect the hike only in three phases.

The meeting was attended by labour minister Purnendu Bose and his cabinet colleagues Partha Chatterjee and Gautam Deb and the representatives of the planters and trade unions.

The planters proposed a hike of Rs 8 annually for the next three years. But the union rejected the proposal.

“The garden owners want the wage to be raised by Rs 24 to Rs 91 over three years. They said they would enhance the wage by Rs 8 a year. But we wanted the wage to be increased at one go,” said Binoy Chakrabarty, the president of the RSP-affiliated UTUC. 

-TT