DTDPLU threatens road blockades

The Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union(DTDPLU) today threatened to start an indefinite fast and road blockade programme from August after a meeting held to resolve problems faced by the tea gardens failed to yield any solution.
The management of Rangmukh- Cedar, Rangeyrung and Pandam tea gardens that are run by the West Bengal Tea Development Corporation (WBTDC) is yet to release Rs 2.15 crore in accumulated arrears and salary to workers and staff members.
In its bid to resolve the issue, the WBTDC had convened a meeting in Darjeeling this afternoon with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-backed DTDPLU and Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA). However, the discussions that ensued failed to hammer out any solution. “We were called for the meeting by the WBTDC in the district magistrate’s office that was also attended by the labour
commissioner’s office. However, it seems the meeting was called only to persuade us to call off our ongoing pen-down agitation. The WBTDC did not have any positive assurances for us,” said DTDPLU assistant general secretary Prashant Pradhan.
Staffers of the three state government-run tea gardens are on a pen-down strike since July 15 to press for their demand even as plucking activity in all three gardens are continuing normally.
Pradhan said, “The sub-staff, labours and senior staff members have not got their salary since the past 27-28 months. Arrears to the tune of Rs 2.15 crore have accumulated since the implementation period in May 2011. This is gross violation of the Labour Act. “We have communicated with the head office of the three tea gardens in Kolkata, but apart from verbal assurances no concrete steps have been taken and under such circumstances, we will have no alternative but to start an intensified agitation.”
The trade union further said it would extend the ongoing phase-wise pen-down agitation into an indefinite one from July 25. Besides, it also threatened to stage hunger strikes and block off major roadways in the Hills if their demands are not met immediately. “We will not call off our ongoing agitation until our demands are met in writing. Come next month, we will start an indefinite fast and also block major roads including National Highway 55 if required,” warned the assistant general secretary.
Further, the DTDPLU said that it would not be responsible if untoward incidents take place in the three tea gardens. “We have asked the workers and staffers to maintain discipline during the duration of the pen-down strike and not to neglect their routine work. However, given the present situation, the company and the state government will be responsible if violent flare-ups occur,” warned Pradhan as he blamed the state government for failing to run the three gardens efficiently.
Rangmukh-Cedar has 1,931 workers in its pay roll at present, while Rangeyrung and Pandam have 195 and 268, respectively.(EOIC)