Tea Industry Workers' Rights and Wage Disputes

A big meeting happened with the Union Minister of Labour and Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya, and people from the tea and cinchona industries.

They talked about how to make the tea and cinchona sectors better and protect the rights of the workers.

The workers have been facing problems for a long time, like not getting fair wages and having to follow old rules from the colonial era.

The minister said the government has new rules to help the workers get fair pay, timely payments, and equal pay for men and women.

He also promised to set up a special court in Darjeeling to help with workers' issues.

One of the local leaders, Raju Bista, said the state government has not been giving the workers their rights, like land deeds and basic facilities.

In Jalpaiguri, a four-month deadlock at the Subarnapur tea garden ended with the management agreeing to pay a 20% bonus in two phases.

Meanwhile, in Alipurduar, a tea worker attempted suicide after a meeting with the management failed to resolve wage disputes.