Tripura tea workers threaten strike

Tea workers in the north-eastern state of Tripura have threatened to launch an agitation if their demand for a hike in wages.

Tea workers in the north-eastern state of Tripura have threatened to launch an agitation if their demand for a hike in wages is not met immediately. The fourth round of talks held on the issue between the state unit of the Tea Association of India (TAI) and labour unions ended in a stalemate on Wednesday with both parties refusing to compromise their stands.

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Tripura's tea labourers at present earn a daily wage of Rs 26.05, lower than what is earned by tea labourers Assam and West Bengal. Their demand that their wages be raised to Rs 35 a day has not been met. Kanu Ghosh, secretary of the Tripura Tea Workers' Union said they would meet state labour minister Faizur Rahaman to apprise him about the failure of the meeting. The union has threatened to call for an agitation unless their wages are raised immediately.

According to the Union, the Left Front government in the state could also ease the situation by lowering the agricultural tax as demanded by the TAI. The tax, the union says, has hampered the growth of Tripura's tea industry, with several gardens facing closure due to a severe funds crunch. The situation had been aggravated by militant groups operating in the area, said a TAI official.