DIBRUGARH, Sept 24 - The plantation workers in 15 tea estates of the Assam Tea Corporation Limited (ATCL) today submitted memorandums to their respective managements as part of their five-day agitation programme in the wake the company denying them proper wage, ration, statutory welfare schemes, provident fund and gratuity, among others.
The ATCL is a public sector undertaking of the State government. The corporation has 15 tea estates in the State. It needs to be mentioned here that the workers here draw a wage of Rs 115 only when other plantation workers in other gardens are at present getting a wage of Rs 167.50. The ATCL workers are also deprived of rations, provident fund and gratuity and other statutory benefits.
The Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) in its meeting held in Jorhat on August 28 had announced that the workers will be compelled to take up the path of agitation if their pleas and demands went unheeded.
Lakeshwar Tanti, vice president, ACMS and branch secretary of Moran unit of the ACMS told The Assam Tribune that on the coming days the workers will resort to other forms democratic protests like wearing black badges, hoisting black flags near the offices of the tea estates, hunger strike and demonstrations etc., till September 28. �If we fail to get any positive response from the authorities concerned, we could resort to extreme form of agitation in the next phase after the Durga Puja,� said Tanti.
