Tea workers in Bengal to get 16% bonus, announces Labour Dept

The West Bengal Labour Department has issued an advisory directing the payment of a 16 percent bonus to tea garden workers in Darjeeling, Kurseong, and Kalimpong for the financial year 2023-24. This step aims to bring parity across the state's tea industry, as tea gardens in the Dooars and Terai regions of North Bengal have already agreed to pay the same rate for the previous financial year.

Earlier, tea gardens in the hill regions had decided to pay an 8.33 percent bonus under the Bonus Act of 1965, considering the severe financial strain many plantations face. However, workers in North Bengal demanded a 20 percent bonus, which led to unrest. After negotiations, the management offered 13 percent, but unions remained firm, leading to a prolonged deadlock. The state government stepped in to resolve the issue, recommending a 16 percent bonus, which is now being distributed in North Bengal.

With the festive season of Durga Puja and Dussehra approaching, the government emphasized the need for timely bonus payments to tea garden workers. The Labour Department directed the management to expedite the process, ensuring workers and their families are not affected by the ongoing dispute.

The advisory also allows plantations facing severe financial difficulties to negotiate mutually agreed rates with trade unions, provided all bonuses are paid before October 4. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, declined to intervene in the matter, attributing the deadlock to political manipulations.