Why the New Labour Codes Are Important for Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars

Nestled beneath the third highest mountain in the world Mount Kanchenjunga, Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars carries immense natural beauty, ethnic and cultural diversity. The North Bengal region is home to nearly 3-crore people, and serves as a gateway to the North East India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh. 

Thanks to its unique agro-climatic factors, the area produces some of the finest tea in the world, and is also a hub for cinchona and other medicinal plants. 

However, the workers in these sectors have continued to face exploitation for generations, rooted in colonial pasts, and neglect by the political establishments in the state. Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi ji, we have been working to changing this, and offering a future with dignity, security and economic empowerment for the region’s workers. 

The Colonial Legacy

In the 1800s, tea was a much sought after commodity in Europe, and China had a complete monopoly over tea production. To break this, the British started experimenting with tea plantation in India, and in 1840s the first tea plants were grown in Darjeeling by Dr. Archibald Campbell. The first commercial plantations had started by 1850s in the hills, in Terai by 1862, and in Dooars by 1870s. Cinchona medicinal plantation was commercially grown around 1860s. Such was the growth of the tea industry that by the time India gained independence, tea along with jute, cotton and spices accounted for over 60% of India’s total exports. 

The tea and cinchona industry grew rapidly, but at a very high cost. It displaced indigenous communities, destroyed our original old-growth forests, and ecosystem. The British left behind a legacy of exploitation, that still affects workers today.

Post-independence, the tea industry thrived, but the workers have continued to suffer. The succeeding West Bengal governments under Congress, CPIM and now Trinamool Congress (TMC) have refused to grant the tea workers dignified wages, and ParjaPatta to their ancestral land. Under TMC government the workers have been denied rights like timely wages, bonuses, and thousands have been deprived of their pension. The tea workers continue to suffer under the vicious cycle of poverty. By keeping the tea garden wages abysmally low, the West Bengal government is forcing the indigenous youths to migrate in search of better opportunities, while they are quietly settling in Rohingyas and illegal Bangladeshi vote banks in the region. 

Empowering reforms

To change this sorry situation, the Central Government guided by PM Modi ji’s vision of “SabkaSaath, SabkaVikash” is working towards empowerment of the workers. Central to this vision are granting of ParjaPatta to the workers, dedicated welfare funds, and the enactment of the four new labour codes. These reforms, long delayed in West Bengal, will provide fair wages, ensure job security, provision better social security, and improve the living and working conditions for the workers.

1.    Code on Wages

This code will establish a minimum national floor wage, below which no worker can be paid.The code further promotes gender equality by ensuring equal pay for equal work.  The national floor wage is expected to be revised and implemented soon.  

The new law also mandates that at least 85% of the wages have to be paid in cash. This means deductions for in-kind payments, such as payments for ration, housing, gumboot, umbrella etc, cannot account for more than 15% of the total wage component. This will directly increase the in-hand wages received by the workers. This will go a long way in improving the standard of living of the workers. 

2.    Social Security Code

This code will extend social benefits, including health insurance, ESIC benefits, provident funds, maternity leaves, and gratuity to workers even in the unorganised sectors. Many workers in Terai and Dooars lack formal employment records, making them vulnerable to exploitation. This code will ensure that workers receive safety net against illness, old age and job loss. 

3.    Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code

The plantation workers work in hazardous places, steep slopes, are at time exposed to pesticides and chemicals, and the vagaries of nature from monsoon rain to scorching heat in summer. This code will ensure that proper safety standards are maintained, regular health check-up of the workers are undertaken, they are provided with protective gears etc. This code will protect the worker’s health, and provide for safer working conditions for them.

4.    Industrial Relations Code

This code will foster harmonious relations between the workers and the employees, by promoting dispute resolution and collective bargaining. In tea gardens, where frequent garden closures have led to job losses and unpaid dues, the new law will provide a mechanism for negotiating fair wages and benefits. It will further, protect seasonal workers with fixed-term contracts, and prevent their exploitation. 
Towards a new dawn

These reforms are not just about higher wages and better working condition, they are also about empowerment, justice, equity and fairness. BJP will implement these codes as soon as our government is formed in the state. We will ensure ParjaPatta rights for the ancestral land of the workers, and ensure that the workers are provided with dignified wages that will improve their quality of life. 

Under TMC, the workers have suffered immensely. We are committed to empowering the workers, and we will ensure that our Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars once again become prosperous.

*Raju Bista is the Member of Parliament from Darjeeling, and BJP National Spokesperson