Tea industry, workers settle bonus issue

Kolkata, Sep 10 (UNI) Tea plantation workers and management in West Bengal have reached an agreement on the rates of bonus for the year.

The bonus for the A grade was fixed at 11.25 per cent (11 per cent last year), B grade was fixed at 10 per cent (9.75 per cent last year), C grade was fixed at 9.15 per cent (9.00 per cent last year) and D grade was fixed at 8.5 per cent, sources at the Consultative Committee of Plantation Association (CCPA) told UNI.

The agreement was reached last night following two-day discussions between the plantation management under the banner of Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA) and North Bengal Tea Workers represented by the umbrella organisations of Co-ordination Committee of Plantation Workers Union and Defence Committee for Plantation Workers Rights.

The bonus would benefit about 2 lakh workers of some 300 gardens spreading over three districts of north Bengal's Terai and Dooars region- Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooccchbehar.

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