HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, Jan 7: Tea workers across the Brahmaputra Valley on Wednesday observed a one-hour strike, warning of a massive statewide agitation if long-pending wage revisions are not implemented immediately. The protest, led by the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS), resulted in a complete shutdown of operations at tea estates during the demonstration period.
In Dibrugarh district, workers of the Rajabari Tea Estate in Moran joined employees from hundreds of other gardens across the valley. Holding banners and raising slogans, the protesting workers highlighted the growing desperation and financial distress within the tea community.
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Following the demonstrations, memorandums were submitted to the respective garden managements for onward submission to the state government, urging immediate intervention.
The central demand of the workers is an immediate increase in daily wages to Rs 351. At present, tea workers receive only Rs 250 per day. ACMS leaders pointed out that stagnant wages, combined with the soaring prices of essential commodities such as food, fuel and medicines have pushed plantation families into severe financial hardship.
Addressing workers near Moranhat, senior ACMS leader Lakheshwar Tanti said that the current wage structure is no longer sustainable. He alleged that despite repeated appeals, the government and the Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA) have failed to act. “This one-hour strike is a final warning. If our demands are not addressed, we will be compelled to launch an intensified, statewide movement,” he said.
