Siliguri: Negotiations for festive season bonus in West Bengal’s tea estates may continue for some time with planters and workers deadlocked on the question of how much to expect.
Experts say the uncertainty over the issue is likely to hit sales of low-cost items in the region’s Rs 200-crore rural market in the upcoming festival season, and could even dampen sentiments in larger markets nearby.
The negotiations involve over 300 organised tea gardens in the region and the about 450,000 workers they employ. The outcome will be closely followed by another 10,000 unorganised small plantations and their about 50,000 workers.
Since 2011, tea estate trade unions and planters have been following a 20% bonus policy, with exceptions being made for a few gardens on a case-to-case basis.
“We want the same this year,” said Saman Pathak, senior CITU leader and a key functionary in negotiation.
Tea estate owners, on the other hand, say it may not be possible. “This 20% is too difficult this year,” said KK Mintry, president of Terai Indian Planters Association. “Production accounts for 90% of our operational cost. That has gone up over 20% due to extensive price hike of input items. In addition, erratic climate and a stormy political situation, all have hampered production and the level of price realisation has gone down.”
A large section of planters is inclined to go back to the pre-2011 system, in which tea gardens were segregated into different categories based upon their financial health and the bonus rate was decided accordingly.
Senior members of trade and industry forums in North Bengal have opposed this saying, “Tea bonus plays the role or fuel for the entire festive season trade in the region. Hope both sides will understand each other’s problems better and try to resolve the issue as fast as possible.”
A total of 24 trade organisations with different political affiliations, including CITU, INTUC and UTUC, have formed a forum without the INTTUC, the trade union affiliated to the ruling party in the state, the TMC.
Experts say the uncertainty over the issue is likely to hit sales of low-cost items in the region’s Rs 200-crore rural market in the upcoming festival season, and could even dampen sentiments in larger markets nearby.
The negotiations involve over 300 organised tea gardens in the region and the about 450,000 workers they employ. The outcome will be closely followed by another 10,000 unorganised small plantations and their about 50,000 workers.
Since 2011, tea estate trade unions and planters have been following a 20% bonus policy, with exceptions being made for a few gardens on a case-to-case basis.
“We want the same this year,” said Saman Pathak, senior CITU leader and a key functionary in negotiation.
Tea estate owners, on the other hand, say it may not be possible. “This 20% is too difficult this year,” said KK Mintry, president of Terai Indian Planters Association. “Production accounts for 90% of our operational cost. That has gone up over 20% due to extensive price hike of input items. In addition, erratic climate and a stormy political situation, all have hampered production and the level of price realisation has gone down.”
A large section of planters is inclined to go back to the pre-2011 system, in which tea gardens were segregated into different categories based upon their financial health and the bonus rate was decided accordingly.
Senior members of trade and industry forums in North Bengal have opposed this saying, “Tea bonus plays the role or fuel for the entire festive season trade in the region. Hope both sides will understand each other’s problems better and try to resolve the issue as fast as possible.”
A total of 24 trade organisations with different political affiliations, including CITU, INTUC and UTUC, have formed a forum without the INTTUC, the trade union affiliated to the ruling party in the state, the TMC.