A group of tea workers of the Chembra tea estate are preparing to launch an indefinite agitation in front of the estate office at Erumakolly, near Meppadi, in the district from Monday demanding withdrawal of a lockout declared by the estate management on Thursday .
Addressing a press meet here on Friday, P. Gagarin, convenor of the joint action council leading the agitation, said the management of the Chembra tea estate, also known as Fathima Farms, owned by A.P. Abdul Wahab, MP, declared a lockout arbitrarily at three divisions of the estate on Thursday alleging that workers were agitating frequently and the estate suffered losses.
As many as 320 labourers have been working on the tea estate, which is on 800 acres of land, and the management declared the lockout arbitrarily without informing the workers or discussions with trade unions, Mr.Gagarin said .
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The move was against plantation Acts, he said. Though the district labour officer had convened a meeting on Thursday to discuss the issue, representatives of the estate management did not attend the meeting.
Earlier the management had issued a notice to the workers regarding a voluntary retirement scheme, but the workers did not respond as the management had not mentioned the details of the scheme. Moreover the workers were yet to get their wages in October, he added.
If the management continued its anti-labour policy the council would launch an indefinite agitation from Monday, he added.
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There are 320 workers on Chembra tea estate
Estate representatives did not attend meet called by labour officer: council