12-hour strike in Hills over 20% puja bonus demand

DARJEELING,: A 12-hour strike called by various trade unions over the demand for a 20% Puja bonus for tea garden workers paralyzed large parts of Darjeeling today. The strike saw widespread participation in most of the hill areas except Kalimpong, where shops remained open and vehicles continued to ply excluding the tea garden-dominated Gorubathan block.

The strike was held after the fourth round of tripartite talks at Shramik Bhawan in Siliguri ended in a stalemate on Sunday. Trade unions held firm on their demand for a 20% bonus, while tea garden managements were only willing to offer 13%. The deadlock led to the strike being called late Sunday evening, with eight trade unions that were present in the meeting including those affiliated with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Hamro Party, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists and Gorkha National Liberation Front. Interestingly, Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha and Trinamool Congress, which generally oppose strikes, were also seen on the streets today.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, speaking in Siliguri today, reiterated her opposition to strikes in Bengal. “We do not support the strike. Whatever their demands are, they can be discussed in a meeting with the Labour Commissioner. I cannot interfere,” she stated. Despite this stance, several TMC leaders in Darjeeling expressed support for the workers' demands, though they did not explicitly back the strike.

In the hills, the strike saw complete shutdowns with shops closed and vehicles including state-run NBSTC buses staying off the roads. Only emergency vehicles were allowed to ply. Even the iconic Darjeeling Himalayan Railway suspended its toy train services, cancelling tourist bookings. Schools also closed with students sent home early in the morning. While government offices remained open, attendance was sparse due to transportation difficulties.

Road blockades were reported in several areas including Kurseong, Sonada and Tung. Tea garden workers were seen actively participating, especially in regions like Tukdah, Rohini and Gorubathan, where they blocked roads in solidarity with the strike. Gorubathan, the only tea-producing area in Kalimpong district, was the exception in an otherwise open town with hundreds of vehicles halted due to the blockade.

CPRM trade union leader Sunil Rai said, “We had declared this 12-hour strike for the entire hills today, but unfortunately there was no good response in Kalimpong.  The reason could be that it is not a tea garden belt but the people there should understand that if tea garden workers do not get proper bonus, it will impact the local economy. They should have understood and closed their shops.”

Rai also warned that today’s strike is only the beginning of a series of protests. “From tomorrow, workers will attend gate meetings for three days, refraining from work,” he said adding that they will decide future course of action after consulting with other unions.

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista criticized the State government’s handling of the issue, stating, “It is unfortunate that the Chief Minister who is in North Bengal refused to intervene in support of tea garden workers. The strike was a last resort after the government ignored their plight.”