Orange Valley tea workers to obey order

Darjeeling: Labourers of Orange Valley tea garden have agreed not to go to work from tomorrow.

The management declared suspension of work at the garden on April 30 following an agitation by workers after Sukbir Rai, a dafadar (supervisor), committed suicide. The labourers, however, decided not to obey the order and worked till yesterday.

According to a source, at a meeting with union leaders yesterday, Darjeeling police told the workers that their decision to disregard the suspension notice might amount to trespassing into other’s property. Senior leaders today held a meeting at the garden where the workers decided to take cognisance of the notice issued by the management.

“Everyone has agreed not to go to work from tomorrow until a meeting is held at the assistant labour commissioner’s office here on May 10,” said A.R. Dewan, the GNLF leader from the area.

The labourers, however, have demanded that they be paid for working on the days the “garden has been closed since April 30”. “They have also demanded that the administration should conduct an inquiry into the death of Rai and that his dues be cleared as soon as possible,” said Dewan.

The management is looking at the development as a positive sign. “The Darjeeling police have played an important role in convincing the workers. The workers’ decision to abide by our notice may lead to an amicable settlement,” said Sandeep Mukherjee, the secretary of Darjeeling Tea Association.

Beech set to reopen

Following a tripartite meeting at the deputy labour commissioner’s office in Jalpaiguri yesterday, the Beech tea estate in Kalchini will reopen tomorrow.

The 2,100 labourers of the garden will resume work after a gap of 24 days. The garden was shut down after the management left the estate following an altercation with the workers over rationalisation of workforce.

Source: The Telegraph

Workers at Orange Valley continue to work

Darjeeling: Workers of the Orange Valley tea garden attended to their duties for the second day today, defying a suspension of work notice issued on April 30.

The management is of the opinion that the decision of workers to take control of the garden could amount to “trespassing into other’s property”. They added that they are considering legal recourse to end the impasse and are consulting experts to frame specific charges against the labourers.

“We are contemplating legal action. In a labour-intensive industry such action can have grave consequences for the garden’s future and we will not allow ourselves to be dictated by them,” said Sandeep Mukherjee, the secretary of Darjeeling Tea Association, of which Orange is a member.

The workers’ decision to run the garden without managerial supervision also raises questions on the manufacturing process and the quality of the highly-priced first flush. Observers feel this could have serious repercussions on the brand image of the garden in the days to come.

Local GNLF leader A.R. Dewan confirmed that work had resumed in the garden today. He, however, said members of the garden management could take up the reins of the garden any time they wanted.

The management, however, has stuck to its guns and said they would return only after normality is restored.

“A section of the workers are against resumption of work in the garden. The process of cooling off has not happened at Orange Valley,” said Mukherjee.

The management also wants the workers to withdraw the non-bailable cases lodged against two managers, Nipen Sharma and Jhawar Singh Chowdhury, for “compelling (Sukbir Rai) to commit suicide”. Rai had committed suicide last Wednesday allegedly goaded by the humiliation at the hands of the accused duo.

Observers feel that withdrawal of the cases would not be easy as CPM and CPRM-backed unions are present in the garden along with the GNLF-backed body. The rivalry between the three unions could delay an immediate solution to the impasse.

Source: The Telegraph

Workers will still work at Orange Valley Tea Estate

Darjeeling: The management of the Orange Valley tea garden today ordered suspension of work in the estate on disciplinary grounds.

Rajesh Kaushal, the manager, along with his colleagues, left the garden early this morning, following which the suspension notice was issued to the workers.

Santa Rai, on behalf of the labourers, said though they had seen the notice, they went ahead with their duties. “Of the 567 labourers, 464 worked today. Tomorrow is a holiday. We will continue to come to the estate from Wednesday as usual and the management should pay,” Rai said.

“The management decided to leave because it is not finding the atmosphere conducive for the running of the estate, as a section of workers has been trying to disrupt the proceedings in the garden,” said Sandeep Mukherjee, the secretary of the Darjeeling Tea Association.

Trouble started in the estate, situated around 15 km from here, last Wednesday when the body of Sukbir Rai (57), a dafadar (supervisor) there, was found 300 feet down a jhora. “Some labourers started blaming the management for the death. The post-mortem report is yet to come, but before that, a charge has been brought against two assistant managers,” said Mukherjee. Following a complaint lodged by Amit Rai, a resident of the garden, police have started a case under Sections 306 and 34 of the IPC against assistant managers Nipen Sharma and Jhawar Singh Chowdhury, for “compelling (someone) to commit suicide”, a source said.

Citing the other reasons behind abandoning the garden, the management said K.K. Chowdhury, the factory in-charge, was manhandled on Thursday for “no apparent reason”. “After Sukbir’s body was recovered, Kaushal, who was away, returned to the garden on Saturday, following which, the workers gheraoed him,” said Mukherjee.

The labourers, however, said they did not mean any harm to the manager. “We were surprised that Kaushal has left the garden. We do not have anything against him,” said Solomon Rai, a worker. “All we want is that those responsible for Sukbir’s death should be punished.”

GNLF leader A.R. Dewan, also the former councillor of the area, declined to comment. “I will first have to find out what has happened,” he said.

Source: The Telegraph

Work set to resume at Orange Valley Tea Garden

Darjeeling: Work is set to resume at the Orange Valley tea garden after the labourers finally allowed police to shift the body of Sukbir Rai, a worker who committed suicide on Wednesday.

“The body was recovered around 12.30 am last night,” said A.R. Dewan, the secretary of the GNLF’s Darjeeling branch committee.

Following a post-mortem, the garden authorities performed the last rites. The labourers then held a condolence meeting today, after which no work was conducted.

According to the labourers, Rai, who was a dafadar or a supervisor at the garden, had committed suicide after being “insulted” by Nipen Sharma, the assistant manager. He killed himself by jumping 300 ft into a jhora near the estate, 15 km from here. After recovering the body, the workers had decided not to give it up till the management came down to the spot and “see (for themselves) the fate of their oppression”.

Now that the labourers have reportedly agreed to an amicable solution, the managers are expected to return to the estate soon. “I have asked my people to resume work from tomorrow,” said manager Rajesh Kaushal.

Following a complaint lodged by Kaushal, the police have started a case against a few unidentified persons under Sections 143 of the IPC (unlawful assembling), 223 (assault) and 342 (wrongful confinement), said L.B. Kumai, the deputy superintendent of police (town). “We have also started two cases under Sections 34 and 306 of the IPC against assistant managers Nipen Sharma and Jhawar Singh Chowdhury,” Kumai said. “Amit Rai, a resident of the estate, alleged that Rai had committed suicide after humiliation by them.”

Source: The Telegraph

Suicide halts work at Orange Valley, Darjeeling

Orange Valley Tea Estate, Darjeeling: Work came to a standstill here this morning over allegations that a worker had committed suicide after being “tormented” by the management.

Angry workers of Orange Valley Tea Estate refused to allow police to lift the body of Sukbir Rai (57), who jumped 300 ft into a jhora, near the garden (located 15 km from Darjeeling), yesterday. They have vowed not to give up the body till members of the garden management came down to the spot and “see (for themselves) the fate of their oppression”. A large police contingent has been posted at the garden.

Workers said Rai, a dafadar (supervisor) in the garden, was publicly humiliated on April 14. “Nipen Sharma, the assistant manager of the garden, insulted him on that day for not doing his work well. Soon after, he was asked to work as a chowkidar and this was too much for him to bear,” said Solomon Subba, a worker.

It is learnt that Rai was mentally disturbed by the incident and took sick leave on April 21. He reportedly went to his relative’s place at Vah-Tukvar (about 20 km from Darjeeling). It was on his way back, yesterday morning, that Rai went missing. His body was traced around 10 am today.

Following this, angry workers laid siege to the garden factory and allegedly manhandled the in-charge R.R. Chowdhury. The manager of the garden Rajesh Kaushal, who was in Darjeeling, however, refused to go down to the site leading to the impasse.

Kaushal has denied all allegations levelled against the management. “The deceased was made a chowkidar at the request of his family members,” said Kaushal. He hinted that the pressure on Rai could have been for other reasons. “He along with a colleague had hauled up six workers for dereliction of duty. They were later suspended,” he added.

The workers, however, claimed only one of them had been suspended on the basis of Rai’s complaint.

Source: The Telegraph