Workers Protest over Months of Unpaid Wages in Assam's Sonari

Sonari: A tense situation erupted at the Ratanpur Tea Estate in Sonari when workers and employees staged a massive protest against the estate management, alleging long non-payment of wages and negligence towards labour welfare.

Large contingents of tea workers and staff demonstrated on the estate premises, expressing their discontent over the financial distress felt for several months. The protesters alleged that the salaries of different categories of workers have become overdue by an unprecedented period of time: nine months in the case of an estate manager, seven months for general workers, and three months in the case of sub-staff. The tea workers also complained that they had not been paid wages for the last three fortnights, which put them under severe economic distress.

Addressing the media, a demonstrator said, “Many of us have not received our wages, and even our authorised ration has been refused. The managers have been absconding for the past three days, so we have no answers. Our life, our families, our dignity, everything has been delayed and rejected. If they cannot manage the estate appropriately, they should not operate it at all. It is a matter of shame that we must still struggle for the basic rights we have gained by our labour.”

The estate, reportedly leased and managed for several years by Denish Kukurachowa, has drawn criticism from workers who claim their grievances have long been ignored. They accused the management of failing to address basic labour rights and responsibilities. This agitation created much tension in the area, and so it drew the attention of the Labour Department. The agitation was later called off in the presence of the Labour Officer with assurances of further action.

The Sivasagar district administration has convened a crucial meeting on December 6 at the office of the District Commissioner to resolve the crisis. Representatives of the management, labour unions, and government officials are likely to attend the meeting to make decisions that could ensure the timely payment of dues and restore normalcy in the estate. Workers remained cautiously optimistic, hoping that the upcoming meeting would finally bring a solution to their long-standing demands and ensure accountability from estate management.

Also Read: Manipur Adopts Centre’s Policy on End-of-Life Vehicles