The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's union for tea garden workers today said
it would launch a movement across the hills if the state failed to fix
the minimum wage for the workforce even after a two-day industry-wide
strike on the demand next week.
Suraj Subba, the general secretary of the Darjeeling Terai Dooars
Plantation Labour Union, said: "There will be a industry-wide strike by
the Joint Forum on June 12 and 13. Even after the strike, if the state
does not make any move in fixing and implementing minimum wages in the
tea sector, we will launch a movement across the hills."
Subba's organisation is among the 23 unions which
make up the forum. Trade unions affiliated to Trinamul are not part of
the forum that has also appealed for a 12-hour general strike in the
districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar and in the Islampur
and Mekhliganj subdivisions of North Dinajpur and Cooch Behar districts
on June 13 on the minimum wage demand.
Subba alleged that the state government was not serious about resolving the issue.
"We doubt the seriousness of the state government. The government
keeps on calling meetings on fixing the minimum wage in the tea
plantation sector but eventually, no decision is taken," he said.
The threat by the Morcha union to organise a movement in the hills
seems to be meant to mount pressure on the government and Trinamul.
"After the Bengali language issue, it seems the Morcha wants to pick
up the tea wage issue. It would pose a new challenge for Mamata Banerjee
and her party, particularly because the GTA elections are ahead," an
observer said.
There are over 70 tea estates in the hills.
"Support of tea garden labourers is necessary to win GTA polls. The
Morcha will try to drive home the point that it is due to the state's
failure that workers are being deprived of minimum wages. In such a
situation, it would be tough for Trinamul to win the support of the hill
tea population," the observer said.
Supporters of the Trinamul-backed Terai Dooars Plantation Workers'
Union assembled in front of the joint labour commissioner's office in
Siliguri today and its leaders submitted a memorandum in protest against
the two-day strike by the Joint Forum.(TT)
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