Longview garden workers movement: An introspection and a call for solidarity.- Sumendra Tamang

    When our country is facing multitudes of social movements of the toiling masses and our society is highly sensitive about gender violence and workspace harassments, we often fail to see the exploitation of women workers in their workplace. The making of a working class is strongly a gender based phenomenon in any capitalist society. The majority of workers are women in many industries like handlooms, garments, tea etc. So these working class women when subjected to extreme levels of economic exploitation, social injustice, political misuse and patriarchy fight back. They are capable of speaking up on their own. After all we all need a little push of self confidence and organic leadership. Our unity grows with fruitful contradictions.

 

Let's talk about Longview tea garden. 

Some workers  are my nana, some my aangi. Some I call mam and some aseng. They are all my loved ones and I believe in them. This solidarity among the working class among themselves is what we need. We all need to set aside our petty  political differences and stand together as one but many. The only weapon we have is our unity and a will to will fight for ourselves. 

As the movement against gender violence and discrimination becomes stronger in West Bengal the issues of working class women should not be set aside. After all discrimination and deprivation is the only thing that these women workers face. Tea garden women workers issues  therefore must also  be bought into the ambit of  social movement happening across India against gender justice. 

More than 15 crores of dues have been piled up till date. Workers and staffs haven't been paid for more than 60 days. Arrears are due too. Last year's bonus still haven't been fully distributed. Field workers have to pluck green leaves amidst venomous snakes like Cobras. Elephants, leopards run wild. Yesterday only a teenager was killed by an Elephant nearby the garden. Workers have to pay for fuel to go to the nearest hospital as the hospital in Longview rusts like ill maintained ruins. There are no signs of other fringe rights like umbrella, gumboots, hygienic quarters, healthe etc. Retired workers haven't been paid their Gratuity money. Factory is currently not manufacturing tea and the green leaves are sold somewhere in Jalpaiguri,  workers say. The director of garden Govind Garh owns this garden along with other major residential and construction businesses as well. There is a huge lack of transparency in the functioning of this garden. It can be said that the fruits of labour are being savoured by the master and siphoned away into other businesses. 

This intersectional relationship between gender and class needs to be the primal force of tea garden workers. Meaning it's high time that the women take over the trade union movement of tea industry and only then can the tea garde industry survive. I may be wrong and people can disagree with me.We can disagree and still stand together in this struggle unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.

Isn't this an act of violence against life?

Longview demands justice. 

And justice when delayed is denied. 

Solidarity forever for the union makes us stronger