Tea workers in parts of Jalpaiguri’s Dooars blocked roads and held protests over the delayed payment of a 20 per cent festive bonus, disrupting traffic on routes connecting tea estates with nearby towns and Bhutan. The protests took place after workers alleged that the companies had not disbursed the bonus by the deadline set by the West Bengal government.
At Choonabhutti tea estate in Banarhat block, owned by Andrew Yule & Company under the Union ministry of heavy enterprises, workers left the garden around 8am and blocked the road linking Banarhat with Samtse in Bhutan. Traffic came to a halt as police reached the site and management representatives began discussions with the workers.
The blockade was lifted around 11.30am after the management gave a written commitment that the 20 per cent bonus would be paid on October 14. Arbind Kerketta, a local trade union leader and adviser to the Bharatiya Mazdoor Workers Union, said workers would launch a larger movement if the payment was not made on the specified date.
Workers at three other Andrew Yule gardens in Banarhat block — Banarhat, New Dooars and Karbala — also held meetings at their estate gates to demand the full bonus in one payment. One worker said employees would not accept the bonus in instalments.
The dispute also affected traffic near Malbazar, where workers from Soongachi tea estate blocked National Highway 31 for around 90 minutes. The blockade caused significant congestion, prompting teams from the Malbazar and Matiali police stations to reach the spot and persuade the workers to withdraw.
The protests are linked to the timing of the festive payment. Anjana Chettri, a woman trade union leader, said workers would face difficulties if the money did not reach them before Durga Puja. Workers at the affected gardens were subsequently assured that the bonus would be paid on October 14, but they warned that the road protests could resume if the commitment was not honoured.
The immediate next milestone is the October 14 payment date agreed between the Choonabhutti management and workers. The response of the other affected tea estates to the same deadline will determine whether normal operations and traffic movement continue in the Dooars.
