Reports

West Bengal

Tea Workers Convention Demands Minimum Wages and Land Rights

Abhijit Mazumdar

A mammoth assembly of tea workers, hailing from most of the tea gardens of Terai, Dooars and Darjeeling Hills met at Bhanu Bhawan (Gorkha Rangmanch), Darjeeling town, in a spectacular convention on 11 September 2021. The convention was the culmination of a decision taken at a meeting of the leaders of all tea unions in Siliguri, owing allegiance to the “Joint Forum” of 37 trade unions operating in the tea sector of North Bengal.

(An abridged version of a more detailed report to be released soon)

Compensation to Families of Dalit Workers Who Were Forced to do Manual Scavenging

Agrave crisis is looming large in the jute industry of Bengal on which thousands of workers families and a vast section of jute growers depend on to earn their bread and livelihood. The century-old traditional labor-intensive industry employs more than 2.5 lakh workers. Of late, the textile ministry of central government informed the state that procurement from the industry will be slashed due to the dearth of gunny bags and 45 percent of synthetic bags will be allowed for packaging wheat in the forthcoming rabi season.

9th August 2021 (Quit India Movement Day) was observed throughout the country with the participation of lakhs of workers, farmers, women and other sections of people. The clarion call to “Free India from the Clutches of Modi-shahi, Defeat Modi-led Company Raj”, “Save India, Reclaim our Rights”, etc., reverberated across the country. To mark this occasion, AICCTU launched “Save India, Save Workers’ Rights” campaign from 1st August which culminated on 9th August with impressive participation of workers.

Countrywide protests were organized on 23 July in response to the call given by trade unions against corporatization and privatization of defence sector and ordnance factories and revoking the ordinance banning strikes.

Protest demonstrations and rallies were held in all the states and major centers in the country. A joint protest rally was held in Patna by central trade unions AICCTU, AITUC, CITU, INTUC, AIUTUC and UTUC.

The strike by steel workers, on 30th June 2021, was a great success, on every count, in all plants as well as in related mining areas in the country. The strike was organized to press for the demands of conclusion of long pending wage revision and withdrawal of the policy of disinvestment and privatisation in Steel sector. Despite SAIL being the first PSU to fulfil oxygen needs of the country in the period of pandemic crisis.

Protest Demanding Pending Wages at RIMS, Srikakulam

As an encouraging development for the struggle of ASHA workers in Uttarakhand state, the ASHA unions led by AICCTU and CITU, major unions in the state, have given a joint call for a prolonged struggle.