Siliguri, May 11: Tea unions will launch demonstrations in all the tea estates of north Bengal tomorrow, demanding fixing and implementation of minimum wage rate and also monetisation of the fringe benefits provided to workers. Tomorrow, workers in all tea estates of north Bengal will demonstrate at the entrance to the estates over the demand, before joining work. According to the trade union leaders, earlier, tea planters used to buy food grains from the market and provided the same to the workers at subsidised rates. Some other benefits which the tea companies provide to the labourers include firewood and 400gm of tea per month. "Added to these estates, there are 70 tea estates in the hills also," a senior tea planter said.

Source: The Telegraph May 11, 2017 20:48 UTC