Massive protests by Assam tea garden workers over unpaid wages and poor conditions

Thousands of tea garden workers from Moran took to the streets in a massive protest against the Government of India, the Government of Assam, and the Andrew Yule Company. Demonstrations were held in Bamunbari and Khowang tea estates, where workers expressed their outrage over anti-labour policies and poor working conditions.

 

Protesters set fire to effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Labour Minister, and the Chairman and Managing Director of Andrew Yule Company, signaling their frustration and anger. The Assam Tea Mazdoor Sangh (ATMS) organized the protest, highlighting issues such as delayed salaries, insufficient rations, lack of medical services, unpaid provident fund, and non-enforcement of labour laws.

 

A spokesperson from the ATMS noted, "The workers have not been receiving their daily wages, rations, and other essential facilities regularly since November 2023. This has created severe hardships for the tea garden workers, many of whom are struggling to survive."

 

A worker described the dire situation, stating, "It's very problematic. It's been two or three months since we received any salary. We don’t even have money to buy food. Sometimes we have rice but no vegetables or oil. Many people in the tea estate are in the same situation, some don’t even have rice. We go to work hungry."

 

In addition to Moran, protests erupted at Deamoolie tea estate in Doomdooma and Rajgarh in Tingkhong. At Deamoolie, workers and the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) demonstrated against the manager's oppressive policies, accusing him of removing names from the roster for absences due to medical treatment and managing the garden with a domineering attitude.

 

The ACMS demanded an end to unnecessary harassment and called for the reinstatement of workers whose names were removed. They also requested the filling of vacant posts.

 

In Tingkhong, hundreds of tea workers protested by closing the garden and burning an effigy of Andrew Yule Company’s director, Anant Mohan Singh. The workers, deprived of their rightful wages and rations, threatened to escalate their protests if their demands were not met.

 

The widespread protests underscore the severe challenges faced by tea garden workers in Assam, as they continue to fight for their rights and better working conditions.