Tea garden workers affiliated to more than 20 different trade unions operating in the gardens of north Bengal have decided to go on four-day relay hunger strike beginning November 27 followed by a token strike on December 1.
Various trade unions operating in tea gardens, except the one affiliated to the ruling Trinamool Congress, have called the strike.
“The State government has taken over five tea gardens of the Red Bank but has done nothing to alleviate the misery of the workers there,” Centre of Indian Trade Unions State president Shyamal Chakrabarty said.
Announcing the strike here, Mr. Chakrabarty said there is no medical facility in the tea gardens, wages are not being paid and even the local Panchayat is turning a blind eye to their plight.
A number of deaths have been reported in the tea gardens of north Bengal. Of late, deaths in abandoned tea gardens have brought to fore the plight of tea garden workers.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who visited north Bengal recently, had threatened to take over the abandoned tea garden.
A case of alleged non-payment of wages in the tea garden has also been filed by the West Bengal ‘s Criminal Investigation department against Duncan Industries in north Bengal.
