Management fails to show up for meet, tea union bandh to go on

Darjeeling: Tripartite talks on minimum wages that had remained inconclusive on Monday at Uttar Kanya, resumed on Tuesday. With the management side not turning up for the meeting, the Joint Forum of Tea Trade Unions announced that the tea garden bandh would continue on Wednesday and Thursday.

Incidentally, the tea trade unions have been demanding the implementation of minimum wages in the tea gardens.

A tripartite talk between the state government, management and tea trade unions was held in Uttar Kanya, the mini secretariat in Jalpaiguri, on Monday. Talks had remained inconclusive, with the state government announcing that the next round of talks would be held in Kolkata on August 20.

Demanding for talks to resume immediately, the Joint Forum had sat on a dharna in the Uttar Kanya compound. They also announced a 3 day bandh of all tea estates in Terai and Dooars starting from Tuesday and the stoppage of tea dispatch from the Hill tea gardens.

The Labour minister has assured that he would meet the trade unions on August 13 and also consider their demands. The Joint Forum has expressed hope that the issue will get sorted by August 15 and said that they plan on intensifying the agitation otherwise.