Two more tea garden managers arrested over allegations of unpaid bonuses

Police in Alipurduar arrested the managers of Birpara and Tulsipara tea estates in the district’s Madarihat block on Saturday over allegations of unpaid bonuses.

The arrested managers are Somnath Ghosh and Dinesh Choube of Birpara and Tulsipara, respectively.

On Friday, managers of three other gardens, Dhumchipara, Garganda and Huntapara, were arrested after worker protests over unpaid bonuses.

All five tea estates are owned by Merico.

The trio arrested on Friday were on Saturday produced at the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Alipurduar. They were sent to four days in police custody.

Garden abandoned

The management of Bharnobari tea estate in Alipurduar’s Kalchini abandoned the garden on Friday night without notice, leaving around 1,300 permanent workers in job uncertainty.

On Saturday morning, as the workers arrived at the garden, they found the factory, the manager’s bungalow and office locked. They realised that the management had left the premises without any lockout or suspension-of-work notice.

The management has paid bonuses to around 1,300 permanent workers. However, it has not paid bonuses to 400 staff, sub-staff and temporary workers.

Affected workers protested outside the Hasimara police outpost.

Rajesh Barla, the general secretary of the Bharatiya Tea Workers’ Union, said: “We requested the labour department to convene a tripartite meeting at the earliest to resolve the crisis.”

Police complaint

Bagrokot tea estate workers in Jalpaiguri district lodged a complaint with Malbazar police on Saturday against the garden management, alleging unpaid bonuses.

A trade union leader said taking action only against managers would not solve the problem, tea garden owners should also face action.