ELP: Meet to be held with tea garden owners on June 28

ALIPURDUAR All operating trade unions are set to hold a meeting with the tea plantation owners to discuss the revision of the Extra Leave Price (ELP). The first bipartite virtual meeting on ELP is scheduled to take place with tea garden owners on June 28.

Though the daily wages have been raised from Rs. 67 during the Left Front regime to Rs. 232 at present, ELP rates remain the same. A demand for an increase in that amount has been raised.

Tea workers receive Rs 3 per additional kilogram of leaves after picking the prescribed 24 kilograms daily. This amount is known as the ELP. If they exceed 6 kilograms, the rate increases to Rs 3.50 per additional kilogram. Tea workers receive the highest ELP from April to September.

Birendra Bara Oraon, President of the Tea Garden Workers’ Union of Trinamool Congress (T.C.B.S.U), stated, “The ELP has been the same for a long time. It is the basic income of the worker and it increases their motivation to work. Therefore, every tea worker is asking for a higher amount. We will address the workers’ demands in the virtual meeting on June 28th, which will include participation from all trade unions. As there has been an increase in daily wage, the ELP should also be increased proportionately.”

Bidyut Goon, president of the Alipurduar district CITU, said, ‘We demand an increase in the ELP. Every tea worker in North Bengal shares the same demand. The ELP should be at least Rs. 10 per kilogram, considering the rise in the prices of essential commodities over the last nine years.”