DIBRUGARH, Jan 8 - The country-wide general strike called by some ten central trade unions today impacted the tea industry here as plantations across the Brahmaputra valley in the State was brought to a total standstill after plantation workers skipped work and resorted to demonstrations in their respective tea estates in protest against the alleged anti-labour policies of the government, controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 and other issues.
�The garden workers held protest marches within the enclaves of their gardens and later held public meetings where local leaders raised the need to protect the interest of the workers and the citizens of the country in general from divisive politics. The workers were made aware about anti-labour and pro-corporate policies of the government, contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), reluctance of the government to fix minimum wages of the workers and other failures of the ruling government,� said Paban Singh Ghatowar, former Union Minister and president, Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha.
The protest in gardens was organised by the garden units of the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha in collaboration with the local organisations. The Assam Tea Tribes Students� Association (ATTSA), All Adivasi Students Association of Assam (AASAA) and Assam Chah Karmachari Sangha (ACKS) extended full support to the protest. �ATTSA stands opposed to CAA and the anti-labour policies of the government and will therefore continue fight for our rights,� said ATTSA president Rajen Kumar. The ATTSA leader attended an anti-CAA rally at Tengakhat. AASAA general secretary Deven Oraon attended a protest rally at Teloijan.
Ghatowar attended a protest rally at Tinsukia. The rally was organised jointly by central trade unions like the Indian National Trade Union Congress, All India Trade Union Congress, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha, Assam Chah Karmachari Sangha, Industrial and Railway workers� body among others. Several thousand people marched through the main road of the town under the leadership of the trade union leaders and later held a protest rally at Tamulbari field.
Similarly, ACMS general secretary Rupesh Goalla led a massive protest march at Margherita where workers from some 22 tea estates under Margherita circle of ACMS participated. AASAA and ATTSA also extended support to the protest. Nabin Keot, ACMS vice-president attended a protest meeting in nearby Maijan tea estate.
All plantations including tea manufacturing units, both in the organised and the unorganised sector were hit due to the general strike. Madhurjya Barooah, secretary, Assam Branch Indian Tea Association BITA, Zone 1 informed The Assam Tribune that the strike in the tea gardens was peaceful. It needs to be mentioned here that transport services too were affected in the region due to the strike as passenger vehicles kept off the roads.
