(UNI) Nearly 4,000 workers, half of them women, have rendered jobless for indefinite period after the management of two tea estates in north Bengal declared shut down of work following
owner-employee disputes, official sources said on Wednesday.
The two tea gardens are Mujnai tea estate in Jalpaiguri and Changmari tea estate in Alipurduar district.
The management of Changmari tea garden put up notice for shut down of work for indefinite period citing labour trouble at the gardens. The garden has been witnessing unrest among the labourers after the management wanted a weekly holiday on Monday instead of Sunday, which the workers did not agree. Following the dispute, the management alleged that one of its official was beaten up by the workers early this week and hence the shut down of work apprehending fresh trouble.
However, the workers denied this and alleged that the management wanted to force ” whimsical rule” on them. The shut down of the garden was to give a lesson to the poor workers, according a to a union leader.
Mujnai tea estate also locked up its main gate after putting up a notice declaring stoppage of work for indefinite period, which the workers staged protest demonstration in front of the gate.
Reinforcement was deployed in front of gate at both the closed tea estates apprehending trouble.