Tea Workers in Bengal to Go on Wage Strike

Siliguri: Trade unions across north Bengal have called a 48-hour strike in Bengal’s tea gardens on June 12 and 13 in support of their demand for a minimum wage for workers of the tea industry and doing away with the 40 years old system of wage negotiation.

The Joint Forum, an umbrella group of tea garden unions, wants the state government to announce a minimum wage for the tea industry. Almost all the major trade union barring the one owing allegiance to the ruling CPIM are participating in the strike.

The planters, however, have expressed concern over the effects of the strike being called at the peak second flush production period.