DIBRUGARH: Under the banner of the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS), hundreds of tea garden workers from the Basmati Tea Estate at Lahowal in Dibrugarh district, staged a work stoppage on Tuesday (May 21) to demand payment of their wages, which have been pending for the last three months.
The workers, holding placards and banners, gathered in front of the estate office to voice their grievances.
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Nabin Chandra Keot, the Dibrugarh district ACMS secretary and central vice president, highlighted the workers’ plight, stating, “Today, the workers of Basmati Tea Estate ceased their work and protested to demand the regularization of their wages. They have not received their wages for the past few months, making it extremely difficult for them to sustain their families. The protest was organized under the banner of ACMS.”
Keot emphasized the hardships faced by the workers, who have also not received their ration for the last two months.
“The workers put in eight hours a day, but without timely payments, they are struggling to support their families. We urge the management to clear all their dues,” he added.
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An agitated worker expressed frustration, saying, “The garden management has ignored our demands. We have not received our payments for three months, causing severe problems for us. The management assured us that the issue would be resolved by next month, but nothing has changed so far.”
The workers warned that if their issues are not resolved soon, they will intensify their protests.
Demonstrating their anger, the workers burned effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, labour minister Sanjay Kisan, and Andrew Yule management.