GUWAHATI: In the aftermath of the Mamata Banerjee government announcing a hike in wages of tea workers by Rs 18, there is the move from the Assam government to hike the daily wage of tea garden workers in Assam

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will chair a meeting of the tea planters and tea labourers organisations for the fixation of tea labourer wages at CM’s conference Hall of Janata Bhawan on September 22. The time of the meeting is yet to be announced.

It is learnt that the state government will propose for hike in wage of tea labourers from existing Rs 235 to Rs 250 (in Brahmaputra Valley) and Rs Rs 210 to Rs 235.

Sources however said it will take several rounds of discussions with the tea planters for the finalisation of the wages of tea labourers.

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The meeting will be attended by representatives of the Indian Tea Association (ITA), Assam Tea Planters Association (ATPA), Assam Branch Indian Tea Association (ABITA), Tea Association of India (TAI), North Eastern Tea Association 9NETA) and Bharatiya Chah Parishad (BCP).

Two major labourer organizations- Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) and Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) were not invited to the meeting.

Mamata Banerjee government announced an interim hike of Rs 18 in the wages of tea garden workers whose pay would go up to Rs 250.

In the last hike, which effected from August 1, 2022, tea garden workers in Brahmaputra Valley got Rs 232 a day, up from Rs 205 a day. Garden workers from Barak Valley saw their daily wage hiked to Rs 210 from Rs 183 a day.

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The move is expected to benefit over 10 lakh workers across 800 gardens of the state, which produce about 55 per cent of the country’s tea.

The supply of food grains to the workers by the management would continue as usual.
A daily wage hike has remained a key demand of the tea community in Assam, which plays a decisive role in around 40 of the 126 Assembly constituencies.

The demand had become a key poll plank of the Congress-led alliance in the Assembly polls held in March-April, 2021.

Bonus for Durga Puja

Meanwhile, the state labour welfare department has directed the tea garden management to finalise their annual balance sheets and work out the quantum of bonuses as per the provision of the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, ahead of the Durga Puja Festival.

“The process of declaring the quantum of percentage of bonus and ex-gratia should be completed within September 20. In case of any exigency, the labour department officials and the district and sub-district civil and police administration may be taken into confidence to extend all possible help and cooperation in responding to the issues p[romptly and suitably,” an official order said.

“The payment of the bonus should be completed by October 5. In case of any disagreement, the bilateral or tripartite negotiated settlement should be tried suitably depending on the individual issues of the garden. Any deviation from this instruction and the laid down provision of law will be viewed strictly,” the order added.