Tea backyard staff protest over bonus; administration releases first instalment

Workers of a tea backyard in north Bengal staged protests demanding a bonus forward of Durga Puja. The protests had been held by staff of the Nagaisuri tea backyard in Jalpaiguri district on September 26 and 27, who sought 20% of their wages as bonus. Police resorted to a baton cost to disperse the protestors.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday shared a video of the police motion on social media, and mentioned that the crackdown was with none provocation on the unarmed tea staff.

“Under Mamata Banerjee’s misrule, the State’s tea staff have at all times been disadvantaged. Mamata Banerjee goes to north Bengal and makes huge guarantees to the tea staff, however they don’t even get their rightful due,” Mr. Adhikari mentioned. 

The staff of Nagaisuri tea backyard had known as off their agitation after administration assured them that the bonus would be paid in three instalments. West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Banerjee had introduced that tea backyard staff would obtain 20% of their wages as bonus within the festive season of 2025.  

“We received the primary instalment of the bonus on Sunday (September 28). Had the employees not protested, they’d not have gotten any bonus. This is as a result of we’re accustomed to the observe file of the administration,” mentioned Kirsen Kharia, central committee member of Paschim Banga Cha Majoor Samity (PBCMS), a union of tea backyard staff. Mr. Kharia added that the administration had supplied solely half of the bonus to date, with the remaining quantity promised in two instalments.

Emphasising {that a} bonus will not be charity however a statutory proper underneath the Payment of Bonus Act, PBCMS mentioned in a press assertion that the disaster displays a bigger sample of exploitation by the Merico-Sammelan group, which runs 12–13 gardens within the area.

“In no less than 9 of those gardens, staff are struggling pending wages of two to 6 months, whereas the administration has deducted Provident Fund contributions for 2 to 3 years with out depositing a single rupee in EPFO. This is a felony breach of belief and a brazen theft of staff’ hard-earned cash,” the assertion mentioned.