Minister convenes meeting to resolve minimum wages for tea workers
The Statesman | 13 April 2025
In a renewed effort to address the long-pending issue of minimum wages for tea plantation workers, labour minister Moloy Ghatak convened a crucial meeting on Saturday.
The demand for minimum wages, pending for over a decade, has gained fresh momentum in recent months, with trade unions and tea workers pressing for justice.
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Currently, tea workers are earning only Rs 250 per day, with no recent wage hikes, despite the rising cost of living. The discontent among workers has been brewing, leading to growing agitation across tea belts in north Bengal.
Responding to this unrest, Mr Ghatak held a meeting to restart the dialogue on minimum wages. However, the talks remained inconclusive. As a way forward, the minister proposed that the State Productivity Council will now take charge of the matter and prepare a detailed report to help finalise the wage structure for tea workers.
In a related development, Mr Ghatak also chaired a meeting of the Tea Advisory Council. Concerns were raised about the prolonged absence of the director of the tea directorate, Amarnath Mallick. Despite being on extended service, Mr Mallick has allegedly failed to attend office regularly for the past five months.
This has left tea workers and union representatives frustrated, as they have reportedly been unable to meet the director during pressing times. The lack of administrative responsiveness has added to the community’s sense of neglect.
With tensions simmering, workers are hoping that the state government will finally act with urgency to secure fair wages and restore faith in the system.