Dalgaon Tea Estate becomes the first to announce bonus this year
Alipurduar: At a time when multiple rounds of talks between tea garden workers’ representatives and management have failed to arrive at a consensus on bonus percentage, the Dalgaon tea estate located in the Madarihat block of Alipurduar, has voluntarily announced a 20 per cent bonus for the workers and started disbursing the same from Friday.
The garden becomes the first garden of North Bengal to disburse bonus this year and that too the highest percentage in the bonus slab. Dalgaon Tea Garden, one of the largest estates in the district, currently employs more than 3000 workers, including permanent and temporary workers, as well as staff and sub-staff.
On Thursday, a formal notice was issued by the garden, informing that on September 29, the Puja bonus money would be distributed to the permanent workers and employees of the garden, and on September 30 to the temporary workers.
Naokul Sonar, the Chairman of the Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union (TCBSU), stated: “We wholeheartedly welcome Dalgaon Tea Garden’s decision. This incident underscores the justifiability and reasonableness of the labour union’s demand for a 20 per cent bonus.”
Dalgaon Tea Garden is a member of the Tea Association of India (TAI), an organisation of tea garden owners. Chinmay Dhar, Chairman of the North Bengal TAI, said: “At this juncture, all I can say is that this incident has taken us by surprise. The bilateral settlement agreement on the Puja bonus in the tea industry has not yet been finalised. There is a meeting scheduled in Kolkata on October 5. The bonus could have been announced after the deal was concluded.”
Mrigank Bhattacharya, manager of Dalgaon Tea Garden, explained: “The workers had requested a 20 per cent bonus from the workers. We always aim to maintain a positive labour-owner relationship in the garden. We will complete the bonus process in the next two days.”
Over 170 tea gardens in the Terai, Dooars, and plains had participated in the bonus settlement agreement meetings held earlier. The owners have offered an 8.5 per cent bonus, a proposal which has been rejected by all labour organisations. A third meeting is scheduled to take place in Kolkata on October 5.
