All West Bengal Tea Garden Labourers Union
Encyclopedia
The All West Bengal Tea Garden Labourers Union (abbreviated AWBTGLU) is a trade union
of tea plantation workers in northern West Bengal
, India
. It was founded in 1989. Politically, the union is aligned with the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)
. The veteran Naxalite
leader Kanu Sanyal
(founder of the original CPI(ML)
in 1969, leader of the Communist Organisation of India (Marxist-Leninist)
until its merger into the refounded CPI(ML) in 2003) served as the working president of AWBTGLU prior to his death in 2010. The union was based in Sanyal's home village Hatighisa, near Naxalbari
.
Under Sanyal's leadership, the union fiercely criticized the plantation labour policies of the then Left Front
government of West Bengal. In 2002, Sanyal argued that lock-outs at north Bengal tea plantations had caused the death through hunger and diseases of 600 labourers. He charged the state government with indifference to the plight of tea labourers, labelling it a 'silent spectator'.
Following Sanyal's death, leaders of AWBTGLU include Ram Ganesh and Pradip Debnath. In 2011 AWBTGLU joined the Pashchim Banga Cha Sramik Karmachari Union, the Darjeeling Terai Dooars Chia Kaman Union and the Terai Sangrami Cha Sramik Union to launch a joint campaign, for implementation of a daily minimum wage of 245 for labourers at tea plantations (in order to comply with the norms of the 15th International Labour Conference and subsequent orders of the Supreme Court of India
). Moreover, the four union resolved to campaign for the implementation of the Plantation Labour Act, and in case of sick and closed plantations demand the implementation of the 2010 Supreme Court directive.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
of tea plantation workers in northern West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was founded in 1989. Politically, the union is aligned with the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Kanu Sanyal)
Communist Party of India is a communist party in India. The party is one of many working under the name of CPI. The party general secretary was Kanu Sanyal...
. The veteran Naxalite
Naxalite
The word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes...
leader Kanu Sanyal
Kanu Sanyal
Kanu Sanyal, , was an Indian communist politician. In 1967, he was one of the main leader of the Naxalbari uprising...
(founder of the original CPI(ML)
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of India was formed by the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries at a congress in Calcutta in 1969. The foundation of the party was declared by Kanu Sanyal at a mass-meeting in Calcutta on the 22nd of April .-History:CPI advocated armed revolution and...
in 1969, leader of the Communist Organisation of India (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Organisation of India (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Organisation of India was a political organisation in India. COI was formed in May 1985 through the merger of six different groups;*Organising Committee of Communist Revolutionaries led by Kanu Sanyal...
until its merger into the refounded CPI(ML) in 2003) served as the working president of AWBTGLU prior to his death in 2010. The union was based in Sanyal's home village Hatighisa, near Naxalbari
Naxalbari
Naxalbari is the name of a village and a community development block in northern part of the state of West Bengal, India. Naxalbari block comes under the jurisdiction of Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district. Naxalbari became famous for the left wing revolt that took place in the late...
.
Under Sanyal's leadership, the union fiercely criticized the plantation labour policies of the then Left Front
Left Front
The Left Front is an alliance of Indian leftist parties. After a 34-year reign in West Bengal, the Left Front was swept from power in the 2011 election...
government of West Bengal. In 2002, Sanyal argued that lock-outs at north Bengal tea plantations had caused the death through hunger and diseases of 600 labourers. He charged the state government with indifference to the plight of tea labourers, labelling it a 'silent spectator'.
Following Sanyal's death, leaders of AWBTGLU include Ram Ganesh and Pradip Debnath. In 2011 AWBTGLU joined the Pashchim Banga Cha Sramik Karmachari Union, the Darjeeling Terai Dooars Chia Kaman Union and the Terai Sangrami Cha Sramik Union to launch a joint campaign, for implementation of a daily minimum wage of 245 for labourers at tea plantations (in order to comply with the norms of the 15th International Labour Conference and subsequent orders of the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
). Moreover, the four union resolved to campaign for the implementation of the Plantation Labour Act, and in case of sick and closed plantations demand the implementation of the 2010 Supreme Court directive.