Uncertainty in plantation workers wage revision brings in alternative scheme

SILIGURI: The largely talked about amendment of Plantation Labour Act 1951(PLA), to settle up wage of over 12 lakh plantation workers in the country, is still under fathoms. Leaving political boundary, the issue has already taken a shape of class struggle.

After over 5 rounds of formal and many informal meets, all inconclusive, the debate between workers and planters with state Governments in between has taken a critical shape where stakeholders have now started thinking of interim arrangements too.

“Instead of tea wage settlement that needs to be re-negotiated once every three years, we want a structured pattern as per Minimum wage Act. If needed, the Plantation Labour Act has to be amended for that,” said Mr. S Pathak, Secretary of Darjeeling District CITU.

Importantly, people, from different political corners, have joined hands giving spontaneous birth of a united forum. With leftist trade union conglomeration CITU, its die hard opposition INTUC is also in that. The trade Union of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha, that is demanding separate statehood for Darjeeling hills has joined the platform along with their strong opposers from foothills, the tribal organizations. Even, BJP Vice President and MP from Darjeeling Mr. S S Ahluwalia said, “Be there any platform or not, on principal, we are also in favour of minimum wage option for plantation workers.” But INTTUC, the trade Union of ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has kept itself off.

Clear enough, the movement is no more controlled by any particular political sector but the whole plantation workers community. Hence, “It demands strong and serious consideration by Government,” said veteran sociologists.

Mr. Pathak quoted West Bengal Labour Minister Mr. M. Ghatak as saying in last meeting on the 17th Nov at Siliguri, “We are planning for Minimum Wage. But that may need time.” When asked, many planters however said, “Any imbalanced amendment can never brighten the overall scenario.”

At this stage, proposal of an interim wage agreement has started brewing up. But, while trade unions want that to be only for six months to give only that much time to Government, West Bengal state is not ready to enter into any fixed time frame.

After last settlement of 2011, the new one became due in 1st April 2014 in West Bengal. Assam is having its negotiation due in December. Naturally, “Any further delay in settlement of this already overdue issue after December may ignite fierce outburst of anger of huge workforce causing major turmoil,” said many industry experts.