Rajganj, 22nd October: Around 50 workers and employees of a tea factory in the Karatoya area of Rajganj have been left uncertain about their future after the factory was suddenly shut down. Workers returning to duty after the Durga Puja holidays found the factory gate locked and a notice announcing the closure. They alleged that the management shut the factory without paying their Puja bonus.
According to factory worker Niloy Debnath, the management and the workers’ organisation had reached an agreement before the Puja holidays to provide interim payments of ₹10,000 to permanent workers and ₹5,000 to temporary workers. Discussions were supposed to resume after the holidays to resolve the issue, but Debnath alleged that the factory was shut down overnight before the matter could be settled.
Debnath said the factory employs 33 permanent workers, two permanent employees and 15 temporary workers. The sudden closure has left them worried about meeting household expenses and paying for their children’s education. Workers also alleged that no management representatives or security guards were present at the factory.
Meanwhile, Tapan Dey, president of the Terai Dooars Plantation Workers and Employees (Sub Staff and Staff) Union, submitted a written application to the Deputy Labour Commissioner in Jalpaiguri on Thursday, seeking intervention. The union stated that the factory had been shut down before discussions could take place to resolve the workers’ grievances and demanded prompt administrative intervention.
According to the company’s notice, the factory was shut down from 18th October due to financial difficulties. With the factory gate locked and no management representatives present, the workers said they were unable to contact the authorities.
