Lockout declared at Doloo Tea Estate

June 28: On Tuesday, the management of Doloo Tea Estate in Cachar district has announced a lockout in the garden.

In a notice issued on 27 June, 2022, Supriya Sikdar, Deputy General Manager of Doloo Tea Estate stated, “The Management of Doloo T.E., an unit of Doloo Tea Company Limited, situated at Dalu under Dalu Post Office at Borkhola, District Cachar noted with distress that a large section of workers regularly disobeying the lawful (kamjari) daily deployment order of the garden management and engaging themselves in the work at their sweet will, which tantamount to complete lawlessness in the garden… It is also a matter of great concern that the workers are regularly reporting at their work place in late hours since last few days.”

“Due to complete lawlessness and delay reporting at work place by the workers, plucking round could not be maintained and the management of Doloo T.E. has suffered irreparable loss in terms of quantity and quality of tea production…. Management is left with no other option except to take recourse to the steps… an action is taken as provided under Industrial Dispute Act… As it has become absolutely impossible to run and manage the garden meaningfully maintain order, the management of Doloo Tea Estate constraint to hereby declare LOCK-OUT of all the operations of the garden with immediate effect except emergency services, such as, (1) dispensary/ hospital, (2) watch and ward & security, (3) water supply, (4) electricity etc.” stated the notification issued by the Management.

Saradindu Bhattacharjee, Secretary of Barak Valley chapter of Tea Association of India (TAI) further informed that during the period of lock-out, the employees will not be entitled to any wages, ration or related facilities/ benefits etc. It was also informed that legal claims in respect of any financial loss due to such illegal acts of workers and the consequent lock-out may also be filed on the Garden Panchayat without any prejudice.

The lockout has left around 1500 permanent workers and 1,000-odd temporary labourers jobless. Doloo Tea Estate has been in the news since the last month due to uprooting of some 30 lakh tea bushes for construction of a Greenfield Airport there.