A Close watch on the conditions of closed tea garden workers

A Calcutta-based rights group, Right to Food and Work, West Bengal Network, has decided to keep a closer watch on the condition of workers in closed and abandoned tea gardens of the region.

The group has proposed the formation of a joint monitoring committee, involving labourers and trade union leaders, to keep track of the situation in the gardens. The proposal came up at a two-day workshop-cum-seminar organised by Uttaran, a workers’ rights facilitation centre run by the group. The seminar ended here today.

“We insisted on forming a body which will look into the various problems of these workers and spread awareness among them on their rights,” said Swapan Ganguly, who works for the group. “The International Union of Food (IUF) has already extended their support to us in this regard.”

The IUF was represented in the meet by Sue Long Lay, a coordinator of the organisation. Lay, who works in the beverage sector — mainly tea and coffee — in Latin America and Europe, had attended the first day of the workshop yesterday.

Leaders of Citu, Intuc and other trade unions were present at the meet, which was also attended by representatives of workers serving in seven tea estates — Kanthalguri, Raipur, Ramjhora, Sikarpur, Chinchula, Bharnabari and Mujnai.

Those present were briefed, among other issues, on the National Rural Employment Guaranty Act that will be implemented soon.

Ganguly said the group was planning to file a suit in the Supreme Court against the mounting provident fund dues in the gardens.

“We have conducted surveys in 18 tea estates and have found that the total amount due as provident fund in these gardens alone is around Rs 37 crore, which comes to around Rs 21,000 per worker,” Ganguly said. “The IUF has already written an open letter to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in this regard and we have plans to file a suit shortly. We have invited the trade unions to be a party to the case.”

There are plans to conduct another survey to examine the various ways in which closed gardens can be revived.

Source > The Telegraph