By Manoj Kumar Ojha
GUWAHATI: Tea Gardens’ workers under the banner of Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha on Friday staged a protest at every tea estate across the state to voice their various demands and submitted a memorandum to the chief minister.
Thousands of people from tea community took to the streets of the gardens with placards in hands and slogans in mouth .
At Diyamuli Tea Estate in Tinsukia district of upper Assam also a one hour protest was staged demanding government to fulfill their 11 pointed demands including wage hike , better education and treatment facilities, ST status and Land patta .
“How long , we shall have to wait for our urgent and genuine demands? ” Sona Tanti , a tea worker, questioned the government talking to media.
“The sky rocketing prices of essential commodities are an open secret . We should get Rupees 351 at the earliest as daily wages to fulfill our daily requirements,” Sona added .
Earlier, ACMS president Paban Singh Ghatowar had stated during a press conference, “On August 11, we will initiate a one-hour protest program in every tea estate across the state to press for our demands and submit a memorandum to the chief minister regarding our long-pending issues.”
The key demands put forward by the ACMS include increasing the minimum wages of tea garden workers to Rs 351 and ensuring that small tea garden workers receive wages of Rs 232. Although this increase was already notified, many workers have not received the updated wages due to the failure of the Social Welfare department of Assam.
Ghatowar also highlighted the dire situation of hospitals in around 60% of tea gardens, where there is an acute shortage of doctors and medical staff. The condition of these hospitals is appalling, and the ACMS demands urgent repairs and recruitment of nurses, medical staff, and doctors to improve healthcare services for tea garden workers.
Furthermore, Ghatowar said that 112 Adivasi communities residing in Assam have not yet been granted the Schedule Tribe (ST) status. The ACMS urges the government to include them under the purview of ST status, as is the case in other states where they enjoy the benefits of this status.
Lastly, the ACMS calls on the state government to provide land pattas (land ownership documents) to the Adivasi people of Assam, especially those who are landless, to secure their land rights and livelihoods.
ACMS rise the issues related with the people working in tea gardens of Assam. It is a registered body under the Indian Trade Union Act .
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