DIBRUGARH, Aug 19 - Several hundreds of workers engaged by different contractors in various construction works of the combined rail and road Bogibeel bridge today staged boycott in protest against non-payment of their wages for more than three months and in support of their other demands.
The workers refrained from construction works from dawn to dusk as they demanded timely payment of their wages and implementation of labour rules. The workers alleged that they were forced to toil for about 12-hours in a day without any extra payment. �The workers mostly hired from outside the State are not provided with proper accommodation, toilets, drinking water facilities, medical facilities and the Sunday holiday. Several have not received their salaries for about five months,� Bipul Konwar, one the workers (mechanical) of the construction site told The Assam Tribune.
Konwar said that they would continue with their agitation till their demand for implementation of the Labour Laws is made applicable at the construction site for the workers. The wages must also be different for the skilled and unskilled. We will organise our workers and fight for our rights tomorrow, Konwar said. The workers said that officials from Hindustan Construction Company gave verbal assurance to the workers that their wages would be released in a week but they demanded it in a written form.
