Tea worker wage dispute settled in India's tea belt
Labor unions, estate managers and government officials have reached an agreement to increase the wages of tea workers by 27%. This came as a response to massive movements in tea-growing regions of Dooars and Terai, which had resulted in strikes and embargo on tea trading. The local government took an active role in brokering the deal, because the situation had crippled the massive tea industry. Officials also announced plans to reopen five state-owned gardens, as well as to improve living conditions of workers. There are 153 tea gardens in Dooars and 42 gardens in Terai, which respectively produce 180 million kg and 50 million kg of tea annually. Together that represents approximately a quarter of India's total output.