Bharnobari Tea Estate suspends work citing unrest, leaving 2,145 workers uncertain ahead of Christmas

Alipurduar: Citing labour unrest, the management of Bharnobari Tea Estate in the Kalchini block under Jaigaon Police Station issued a ‘suspension of work’ notice, throwing the livelihoods of around 2,145 workers into uncertainty just days ahead of Christmas.

According to sources, tensions escalated on Tuesday after workers staged a protest demanding timely payment of wages and proper submission of deducted provident fund (PF) contributions. Following the protest, the garden management allegedly abandoned the estate during the day. Later that night, a formal suspension of work notice was issued by the management.

On Wednesday morning, workers found the notice displayed at the garden office, triggering widespread anger and agitation. Workers alleged that the manager and his entire team abruptly shut down operations and fled without prior intimation. Expressing her anguish, worker Malti Ekka said: “The management regularly delays our wages. Although PF amounts are deducted from our salaries, they are not being deposited in our PF accounts. We protested peacefully on Tuesday over these issues. Shutting down the garden without any notice is completely unjust. We demand immediate intervention by the administration and strict action against those responsible.”

Multiple attempts to contact the Bharnobari Tea Estate management for their response were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Alipurduar District Labour Commissioner Gopal Biswas confirmed receipt of the suspension notice.

“The Bharnobari management submitted the notice on Tuesday, alleging non-cooperation by a section of workers, which they claim made it difficult to run the garden. In view of the situation, they decided to suspend operations. We have called a tripartite meeting on Thursday to resolve the issue and facilitate the reopening of the garden,” he said.