The industry seems to have been hit hard by the decision of plantation unions in these areas to call off work if their demands are not met with. Industry officials told The Financial Express that the decision of the plantation workers may throw up serious repercussions for the industry in the season.

The Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (the CCPA) has appealed to the Co-ordination Committee of Plantation Workers, to withdraw the strike and try to maintain a congenial atmosphere in which meaningful dialogues could be carried out.

According to a senior industry official, the tea industry had to face prolonged drought conditionsleading to a huge shortfall in production which was impossible to be made up during the year although a good spread of rains has begun currently.

Moreover, average prices of January to April this year has been 20 to 22 per cent lower than last year. An agitation or strike at this juncture will not only affect the industry's health very badly but will also be detrimental to the workers, said the official.

It is learnt that the West Bengal government has called for a tripartite meeting of tea plantation unions, industry officials along with its own officials on June 30 in an attempt to resolve the sudden crisis faced by the industry and attempt some solution for the plantation workers.The various demands that have been put forward by the West Bengal Co-ordination Committee of Tea Plantation Workers consisting of 19 unions include the provision of additional employment in the tea plantations. Their contention is that with a larger acreage being brought under tea cultivation, additional employment isjustified.

The plantation unions have put an estimate of 1.1 man per acre to tune with the concept of a correct land labour ratio. The regularisation of temporary workers is justified as most temporary workers are needed throughout the year, they felt.

Other issues include promotion of subordinated staff after completion of ten years of service, upgradation of daily-rated workers to subordinate staff, construction of group medical hospitals and so on.

It may be noted that the industry has on its part tackled important issues as revision of pay scales and workers wages for all these regions.

Infact, a sub-committee formed at the government level had not particularly discussed these issues in detail earlier. According to an industry analyst, it remains to be seen how the matter can be dealt with an amicable solution.

According to an analyst, the imposition of Rs 2 per kg levy along with inflationary pressures has further led to serious cost pressures, apart from lower production and fallingprices.

This has been more for the Darjeeling gardens which face a problem of marketing the post-rains crop. The cost of production at the Darjeeling gardens has risen tremendously over the last few months. With average age of the bushes being high in this area, technical problems have also affected the growers.

Industry sources indicated that although work at the plantations across Dooars, Terai and Darjeeling have not been affected currently, there have been instances of gate demonstrations at few of the plantations.