Non-fixation of minimum wages for workers and closed tea gardens are the main factors during the first two phases of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal to be held in the state's tea belt.
The tea belt is located in Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars region of North Bengal where 3 lakh odd permanent workers are employed in around 300 gardens.
The Terai and Dooars regions consist of the districts of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Darjeeling and Coochbehar districts of West Bengal and a part of Assam.
Polling in Coochbehar and Alipurduar seats would be held on April 11 and while Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Raiganj constituencies would go to polls on April 18.
Trade union leaders who owe allegiance to various political parties said they have been demanding implementation of minimum wages in tea gardens for long but the issue has not been resolved.
Tea industry sources said the issue was deliberated at length in the minimum wage advisory committee formed by the state government, but it has not been finalised.
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Submissions to the advisory board on minimum wage had been made by both the employers and trade unions, and now the ball is in the court of the government, the sources said.
Ziaul Alam, convenor of the joint forum of 29 trade unions in the tea belt spearheaded by the CITU, alleged that the Trinamool Congress government betrayed the sentiments of the tea workers by not giving them minimum wages.
Sources said the largest tea growing state, Assam, had also not decided on the implementation of minimum wages.
"Taking a cue from this, the government of West Bengal has adopted a wait and watch approach," the sources said.
Alam said, "The overall economic situation in the tea gardens was not healthy and the workers were unable to strike a balance between income and expenditure due to rising prices of essential items of daily use."
Dhamal said, "In the absence of any policy, it is not known how the closed tea gardens will be reopened."