The Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labor Union today said it would keep on hold its planned indefinite pen-down agitation slated from July 25in the five state government-run tea gardens because of the moral code of conduct in place amid the ongoing Panchayat election.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-affiliated union had started a series of pen-down agitations from July 15 in Rangmukh-Cedar, Rangeyrung and Pandam tea gardens that are run by the West Bengal Tea Development Corporation (WBTDC) demanding release of pending workers’ salary and arrears.
DTDPLU general secretary Suraj Subba said, “We have decided not to go ahead with the indefinite pen-down agitation from tomorrow keeping in view the prevailing code of conduct because of the panchayat election in Jalpaiguri district.”
The Mohua and Hilla tea gardens of Dooars, which fall under Jalpaiguri district, go to the polls on Thursday. However, there will be no election in the Hills due to technical reasons.
According to the trade union, the accumulated arrears and salary of the sub-staff, senior staff members and labor total Rs2.15 crore, and disbursement of the amount has been pending since the last 27-28 months. The implementation period was from May 2011.
The DTDLPU has also threatened to hold gate meetings from August if the demand is not met by the WBTDC. “We will wait for the election process to complete by July 30 and then launch our next phase of agitation. We will hold gate meetings in each and every tea garden under our union for two hours a day. This is besides the pen down agitation,” said Subba.
When reminded the Mohua and Hilla tea gardens were not under the jurisdiction of Darjeeling, the trade union leader said, “They are under the WBTDC all the same and any move decided for the Hills will also apply to the plains. Moreover, we have got a sizeable representation in those two gardens and we consider them as part of our family”.
Meanwhile, the assistant labour commissioner had on July 22 convened a meeting with the DTDLPU, garden management and the Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) - an umbrella organisation of 87 tea gardens located in the Hills - to persuade the agitators to lift their strike.
However, with no concrete solution coming forth from the meeting, the DTDPLU had threatened to intensify its agitation from August. “We will organise road blockades in the entire Hills and also stage indefinite fasts if our demands are not met by the state government,” DTDPLU assistant secretary Prashant Pradhan had warned after the meeting in the Darjeeling district collector’s office.(EOIC)
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-affiliated union had started a series of pen-down agitations from July 15 in Rangmukh-Cedar, Rangeyrung and Pandam tea gardens that are run by the West Bengal Tea Development Corporation (WBTDC) demanding release of pending workers’ salary and arrears.
DTDPLU general secretary Suraj Subba said, “We have decided not to go ahead with the indefinite pen-down agitation from tomorrow keeping in view the prevailing code of conduct because of the panchayat election in Jalpaiguri district.”
The Mohua and Hilla tea gardens of Dooars, which fall under Jalpaiguri district, go to the polls on Thursday. However, there will be no election in the Hills due to technical reasons.
According to the trade union, the accumulated arrears and salary of the sub-staff, senior staff members and labor total Rs2.15 crore, and disbursement of the amount has been pending since the last 27-28 months. The implementation period was from May 2011.
The DTDLPU has also threatened to hold gate meetings from August if the demand is not met by the WBTDC. “We will wait for the election process to complete by July 30 and then launch our next phase of agitation. We will hold gate meetings in each and every tea garden under our union for two hours a day. This is besides the pen down agitation,” said Subba.
When reminded the Mohua and Hilla tea gardens were not under the jurisdiction of Darjeeling, the trade union leader said, “They are under the WBTDC all the same and any move decided for the Hills will also apply to the plains. Moreover, we have got a sizeable representation in those two gardens and we consider them as part of our family”.
Meanwhile, the assistant labour commissioner had on July 22 convened a meeting with the DTDLPU, garden management and the Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) - an umbrella organisation of 87 tea gardens located in the Hills - to persuade the agitators to lift their strike.
However, with no concrete solution coming forth from the meeting, the DTDPLU had threatened to intensify its agitation from August. “We will organise road blockades in the entire Hills and also stage indefinite fasts if our demands are not met by the state government,” DTDPLU assistant secretary Prashant Pradhan had warned after the meeting in the Darjeeling district collector’s office.(EOIC)
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