Tea garden workers blocked a major highway in Jalpaiguri on Saturday morning to demand their pending wages and full bonus before the Durga puja festival. The protest caused heavy traffic jams on the Malbazar to Siliguri route, creating severe problems for daily commuters.
Workers at the New Glencoe tea estate are angry because the management failed to pay their bonuses on time.
The protesters refused to accept bonuses in installments and demanded the full twenty percent bonus along with all pending wages immediately. They warned that the protest will continue until their demands are met.
Police from the Malbazar police station and railway police rushed to the spot to control the tense situation.
Officers are currently talking to the workers and garden management to remove the blockade and restore normal traffic movement on the road.
