The Dooars Cha Bagan Workers' Union is a trade union of tea plantation labourers in the Dooars in northern West Bengal, India. It is affiliated to the United Trade Union Congress, the labour wing of the Revolutionary Socialist Party.[1] Historically it held a strong influence among tea plantation labourers in the eastern Dooars.[2] As of 2010, its general secretary was Manohar Tirkey.[3]
| Founded | 1948 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Kalchini, West Bengal, India |
| Location | |
Members | 11,152 (1961) |
Key people | Manohar Tirkey, General Secretary |
| Affiliations | United Trade Union Congress |
The Dooars Cha Bagan Workers' Union emerged in 1948. The first RSP-controlled tea plantation workers union was established at the Sarugaon Tea Estate. Subsequently, the union established its presence in the Majherdabri, Kohinoor and Mathura tea estates. Its founding president was Brojen Das and its general secretary was Suresh Talukdar.[2] The union was registered in the same year.[1] As of 1961, it claimed 11,152 members.[4]
In the 1960s, A.H. Besterwitch served as general secretary of the union.[4] Its offices were located in Kalchini for many years.[1][4]
During the years of the Emergency in the 1970s, the organisers of union suffered from violent attacks from the plantation owners. At this point, its general secretary was Nani Bhattacharya.[1]
As of 2005, DCBWU was the third largest union in the tea plantation sector in the region.[5] However, the union has lost ground after the entry of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad in the tea plantation union sector.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Bhowmik, Sharit. Class Formation in the Plantation System. New Delhi: People's Pub. House, 1981. pp. xii, 150
- ^ a b Gupta, Manas Das. Labour in Tea Gardens. Delhi: Gyan Sagar Publications, 1999. 79
- ^ "The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | North Bengal & Sikkim | Adivasi tea union joins poll fray". Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
- ^ a b c Europa Publications Limited. The Europa Year Book. London: Europa Publications, 1961. p. 591
- ^ http://www.iufdocuments.org/www/documents/PKMS-IUFstudy.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Tribals reject Dooars tea labour unions - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2022.