Tea workers protest in city over ration

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Jan 12: Hundreds of activists of Axom Sangrami Shah Sramik Sangha today staged a dhar in protest against government’s decision to stop supply of rations of the tea garden workers. The organization has also demanded continuation of weekly cash payment system of the tea garden workers.

The protesters said that the tea garden workers aren’t too keen to move towards a cashless economy anytime soon.

The tea garden workers are usually paid periodical wages, weekly or fortnightly, in cash.

The Assam government has directed all tea garden magements to take steps for opening bank accounts of its workers, to receive payments in account.

The tea labour do not want their payments in Bank account , as they are illiterate people they don’t know how to operate an ATM card , and they also face many problem and harassment in opening Bank Account, said the protesters.

They sent a memorandum to chief minister Sarbanda Sonowal with this demand.

They are also seeking an increase in the daily wage of tea garden workers to Rs 500 per day.  Several leaders of the organization including Bibek Das, Subhash Sen, Dhiraj Das participated in the protest.