SILIGURI, Sept 23: Tea garden workers across the Dooars and Terai region today welcomed the flat rate of 20 per cent annual bonus to over 300,000 employees representing over 220 tea estates in north Bengal for 2012-13.
The announcement was made jointly after a meeting with the state government representatives and designated members of the planters associations.
There are about 250 tea gardens in the Dooars and Terai region, but the rate agreed upon by the planters, trade unions and government officials in Kolkata on Sunday on 220 as 30 others, which were having financial trouble, will have bonus between 10 to 19 per cent, officials said today.
The 20 per cent bonus is highest permissible rate under the Plantation Labour Act, 1951.
Convener of the Co-ordination Committee of Tea Plantation Workers Chitta Dey said after a tripartite meeting the 20 per cent bonus for 2012-13 was agreed upon.
Last year the bonus was paid at the rate of 20 per cent in the gardens under all the four categories A, B, C and D – on the basis of a number of parameters like total area under cultivation, annual production, number of workers and likewise.
Dooars branch of Indian Tea Association secretary Prabir Bhattacharjee assured that the bonus would be paid to workers before October 5.
(UNI)
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