West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Denies Support to Tea Garden Workers’ Strike in Darjeeling
Darjeeling, West Bengal – On Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that she does not support the 12-hour strike called by trade unions demanding a 20 percent bonus for tea garden workers. She stated that the matter is being discussed in a meeting with the Labour Commission and she cannot interfere.
CM Mamata Banerjee said, “We do not support the strike, whatever their demands are, they will discuss them in a meeting with the Labour Commission. I cannot interfere in this, the Labour Commission is meeting with them.”
However, Darjeeling MP and BJP spokesperson Raju Bista criticized the Chief Minister for not intervening. He said, “It is extremely unfortunate that the Chief Minister of the State, Mamata Banerjee ji, who is currently in North Bengal has refused to intervene in favour of the tea garden workers. Instead, she has labelled their 12-hour strike, called in support of their demand, as being politically instigated. I humbly want to remind the Chief Minister that the tea workers have been forced to call for a strike after the Tea Industry, the WB Labour Department, and the Govt of WB has turned a blind eye and deaf ears to their plight. Had the WB government proactively taken up the workers’ demand and sorted out the bonus issue, the workers wouldn’t have to hit the streets in protest.”
Trade unions representing Darjeeling tea garden workers called for the 12-hour strike on Monday, demanding a 20 percent bonus. Suman Tamang, a leader of a trade union, said, “This issue is not new; it is very old. Yesterday the fourth round of meetings was held in Shramik Bhavan but no solution came out of the meeting. All trade unions have called for a 12-hour strike. All political parties are supporting us.”
In March of this year, tea growers also expressed their disappointment with the role of the center in terms of its revival and urged the center to address their plight. They said that Darjeeling tea is facing a crisis.
Doubts Revealed
West Bengal -: West Bengal is a state in eastern India. It is known for its cultural heritage, including music, literature, and festivals.
CM -: CM stands for Chief Minister. The Chief Minister is the head of the government in an Indian state.
Mamata Banerjee -: Mamata Banerjee is the current Chief Minister of West Bengal. She is a politician and the leader of the Trinamool Congress party.
Tea Garden Workers -: Tea garden workers are people who work in tea plantations, where tea leaves are grown and harvested. Darjeeling is famous for its tea.
Strike -: A strike is when workers stop working to protest against something, like low wages or poor working conditions.
Darjeeling -: Darjeeling is a town in West Bengal, India, known for its tea gardens and beautiful mountain views.
Trade Unions -: Trade unions are groups of workers who come together to protect their rights and improve their working conditions.
20 percent bonus -: A 20 percent bonus means extra money given to workers, which is 20 percent of their regular pay.
Labour Commission -: The Labour Commission is a government body that deals with issues related to workers and their rights.
MP -: MP stands for Member of Parliament. An MP is a person elected to represent people in the Parliament.
Raju Bista -: Raju Bista is a Member of Parliament from Darjeeling. He represents the people of Darjeeling in the Indian Parliament.