As state plans traditional pay hike talks, unions seek Min wages

At a time when the State Labour Department is set to convene tripartite talks in the first week of March to settle tea workers' wages through the traditional Tripartite Agreement, which was last inked in 2014, operating trade unions under the banner of Joint Forum of tea gardens and industries, a conglomeration of 33 organisations, have planned to stage demonstrations on various issues, including implementation of the Minimum Wages Act and Land Rights for landless residents in the tea area.

- MANAS R BANNERJEE

In a two-day convention held recently, it was decided that as the new operational season would begin from today in the plains, the operating trade unions would jointly stage demonstrations before joining their duties on 23 February and serve memorandum to employers.

Similarly, the operating trade unions will go to Hills with the same issues after the new operational season begins there on 28 February.

In the convention, it was decided that during the demonstrations, the operating unions will mention in the memorandum that the garden areas have become a grave concern for the several landless residents as the state government has allowed planters to "divert" 15 percent land or making it "freehold" land from the "lease hold" one.

It was also decided that as there was no effective measures to provide deeds (Patta) on land rights so far, the demonstration on 23rd February would ask garden authorities concerned not to change the present holding status, diversion in use etc or making the land freehold and dispossessing anyone, while also pressing for rights of land to every landless residents in the North Bengal region.