STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
Siliguri, 5 February
Traditional trade union leaders have expressed unhappiness over the formation of the United Tea Workers Front (UTWF), which was constituted recently to settle the wage row separately.
Save for a trade union backed by the Trinamul Congress and the newly formed  UTWF, almost all the trade unions have decided to maintain unity to bargain for tea workers’ minimum wages for the next three years.
The New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI), which supported the charter of demands put forth by the co-ordination committee of tea plantation workers (CCTPW), today expressed concern over the formation of the UTWF.
Addressing a press meet here, the NTUI general secretary, Mr Goutam Mody, said: “We need trade union unity in winning the battle for bringing out a satisfactory  wage agreement for the tea plantation workers as a whole.
The UTWF, which has demanded a separate wage settlement for workers for the Hills and the Dooars-Terai region, will cast asunder the unity among several trade unions.”
The working president of Trinamul Tea Plantation Workers’ Union (TTPWU), Mr Alok Chakraborty said  Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha-backed trade union and John Barla-led  ABAVP splinter faction comprise  UTWF.
“It is unfortunate when juxtaposed against the state government  striving hard to  resolve the problems plaguing the tea plantation and the workers,” he said.
“We will approach the GJMM-backed trade union leaders and GJMM president, Bimal Gurung, urging them to join with us in the larger interests of the tea workers,” he added.
According to him, the GJMM-backed trade union leaders had signed a bipartite agreement with the Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) three years ago for the tea workers in the Hills. “
Many workers remained deprived of their legitimate dues due to the bipartite agreement,” Mr Chakraborty said, adding, “We would request them to ink a tripartite agreement involving the state government.  The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) may be involved to protect the interests of the tea workers.”
Darjeeling district CITU general secretary, Mr Saman Pathak, a former member of the Rajya Sabha from Darjeeling, said: “We always want unity among the trade unions to safeguard the interests of the tea workers in the Hills and the Terai-Dooars region.”