Dibrugarh: Tea workers, primarily female leaf pluckers, staged hour-long demonstrations at five tea estates in Dibrugarh district on Thursday under the banner of the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS). The protests were aimed at pressing management and authorities to address a range of long-pending demands related to employment, healthcare, and living conditions.
Simultaneous Protests Across Estates
The simultaneous protests were held at Mokalbari, Kamakhyabari, Ganeshbari, Manabari, and Dhalajan tea estates. Workers gathered at their respective garden premises to voice their grievances.
Key Demands Raised
Among the primary demands was the filling of vacant posts for permanent employees and sub-employees. Workers stated that a large number of positions have remained vacant for a considerable period, placing additional burden on existing staff and affecting both productivity and worker welfare.
The protesters also demanded that medical facilities in the garden hospitals be fully available and upgraded to meet the needs of the large workforce and their families residing at the estates. Tea garden hospitals in Assam are mandated under the Plantations Labour Act to provide basic healthcare, but inadequate infrastructure and shortage of medical staff have long been a concern across several estates.
Frequent change of tea garden managers emerged as another key grievance. Workers said the regular rotation of managers disrupts the continuity of welfare programmes and often leads to a breakdown of trust between the workforce and estate management.
Housing facilities improvements were also among the demands, with workers pointing to the deteriorating condition of labour lines in several gardens.
Union Leader's Statement
“Our demands are not new. We have been raising these issues for a long time. The vacant posts must be filled, the hospitals must function properly, and the homes need to be in a liveable condition. We expect the management and government to take these concerns seriously,” said ACMS vice president Nabin Chandra Keot.
Thursday’s demonstrations were peaceful. Union leaders warned that if the demands are not addressed within a reasonable timeframe, the ACMS would be compelled to intensify its agitation.
