ASCSS demands ration for tea garden workers, opposes cashless transaction

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

JORHAT, Feb 13: Hundreds of activists of Asom Sangrami Chah Shramik Sangha (ASCSS), Jorhat circle committee, staged a massive protest in front of the office of the Assistant labour Commissioner, Jorhat demanding regular ration for tea garden workers. They also opposed the cashless transaction system of the government and demanded to make the tea garden workers’ payment in cash like earlier.

The organization took out the protest rally from the office of CITU, Jorhat district unit and reached the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner through Jail Road at around 12.30 pm. They shouted slogans against the government for its decision to withdraw tea garden workers’ ration and cash payment. They also sent a memorandum to the Chief Minister with their seven-point charter of demands.

In a statement issued by Rameswar Kol and Jethul Krindal Chaura, president and secretary of the committee, they said that the BJP-led government in the State promised to pay tea garden workers daily wages like in other States of the country, but failed to keep its promise. On the contrary, the government introduced cashless transaction to the tea garden workers without having any required infrastructure and withdrew the tea garden workers ration. “We want the implementation of Minimum Wage Act 1948, amendment of tea garden labour act, 1951, implementation of tea advisory board suggestions and to fix tea garden labour wages as per law. But the government has failed to do all these things for the greater interest of the tea tribes community,” they said.

They demanded to the government to provide regular ration to the tea garden workers, to pay tea garden labourers’ wages in cash, to pay daily wages to the tea garden workers like other States in the country and to take steps for reformation of Assam Tea Corporation.