Dibrugarh: The Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS), the leading union representing tea garden workers in Assam, has announced statewide protests beginning in the first week of April, demanding a substantial wage increase.
At a press conference held at the ACMS central office in Dibrugarh, ACMS president Paban Singh Ghatowar stated, “We will initiate statewide protests in early April, demanding a daily minimum wage of Rs 351 for tea garden workers. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma‘s assertion that there is no demand for a minimum wage is inaccurate.”
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Ghatowar said, “We have submitted numerous memoranda to tea garden owners and the state government, advocating for a minimum wage of Rs 351. The government must recognize that the interim wage increase is not a permanent solution.”
He further outlined the union’s 11-point charter of demands, addressing the state government’s decision to permit the use of five percent of tea estate land for tourism and other purposes.
“We are not opposed to the land being utilized for hospitals and schools, provided that the children of tea garden workers receive priority in job opportunities,” Ghatowar clarified.
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“Additionally, if hospitals are constructed on tea garden land, free or subsidized treatment should be provided to tea garden workers,” he added.
The ACMS maintains that this wage increase is essential for improving the workers’ living standards and ensuring a dignified livelihood.