Tinsukia: Employees of the Tipuk Tea Estate in Assam’s Tinsukia district, protesting under the banner of the Asom Chah Karamchari Sangha (ACKS), are set to escalate their ongoing agitation into an indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday over the management’s failure to address a 14-point charter of demands.
The escalation follows a series of sit-in demonstrations held within the estate premises on March 9 and 10. Dozens of tea estate employees gathered under a makeshift shed, holding placards demanding the immediate release of provident fund (PF) deposits, pension benefits, and the filling of vacant posts, alleging that critical welfare issues have been ignored for years.
At the core of the protest is a slew of unresolved financial and administrative grievances. The union is demanding the payment of gratuity pending since 2021, the immediate clearance of up-to-date PF contributions, and the settlement of bonus arrears for the 2014–15 financial year. The charter also seeks the release of 30% of the employees’ salaries that were withheld during the COVID-19 lockdown in March and April 2020.
Furthermore, the union has called for the payment of arrears for second and third salary instalments, overtime wages, charge allowances, and corresponding PF contributions on these components. The employees are also seeking the reimbursement of pending medical bills — which they claim have placed a severe financial burden on several staff members, alongside compensation for LPG cylinders covering 2018 and the 2020–2024 period.
Beyond financial claims, the ACKS has highlighted poor infrastructure and healthcare facilities at the estate, located about 30 km from the district headquarters. The workers have demanded the urgent repair and whitewashing of staff quarters, the renovation of the staff club, and the appointment of a residential doctor to ensure regular medical support for the employees and their families living in the estate.