Jalpaiguri: In a shocking turn of events, around 1,200 workers of Ambari Tea Garden in Banarhat were left stranded on Tuesday morning after the management allegedly abandoned the garden without prior notice.
Following a discussion with the management, workers had agreed to a 10-day “Sal Leave” (annual leave) starting June 26, with the assurance of resuming work on July 8. However, when spray workers arrived at the garden store around 5 am, they found it locked. Soon, it became evident that the factory, its office and the garden office were all shuttered. As news spread, hundreds of anxious workers gathered outside the locked premises. By noon, local leaders from both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP reached the site.
“The management deceived the workers,” said Suraj Bishwakarma, garden unit secretary of the Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union (TCBSU). “Last month, we met with them at the Dooars Branch of the Indian Tea Association. They cited the garden’s poor condition and asked for a 10-day leave. But now they’ve disappeared without informing anyone.”
Echoing the outrage, Bidhan Sarkar, Banarhat block president of TCBSU, questioned the sudden closure. “We had discussions about issues like substitute work and a school bus. There was no unrest. Workers cooperated. Then why this abandonment?” Hiren Bishwakarma, president of the BJP-affiliated workers’ union BTWU, expressed strong discontent. “We no longer want this owner. Since Covid, we’ve been repeatedly forced into ‘Sal Leave.’ The leaves are ready, plucking was to begin today and now everything is stalled. The management is solely responsible for this crisis.”
Repeated calls to the manager and assistant managers went unanswered. Meanwhile, Jalpaiguri Deputy Labour Commissioner Subhajit Gupta confirmed that no formal notice had been sent to the Labour department. “A tripartite meeting has been convened on Wednesday to address the issue,” he said.