Hundreds of activists from All Adivasi Students Association of Assam(AASAA) and Akhil Bharatiya Chah Mazdoor Sangha(ABCMS) staged dharna and burnt effigies of Consultative Committee of the Plantations’ Association (CCPA) and Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha(ACMS) and in protest against the finalised the daily cash wage agreement for the tea garden workers of the Brahmaputra Valley for a period of three years with effect from January 1 this year,today at Lalmati Tea Estate in Kokrajhar.
The activists with placard and banner shouted slogans demanding hike of wage up to Rs. 335 from Rs.95 and CCPA and ACMS has now reached agreement of getting Rs.115 in their working days.The students union and Mazdoor Sangha strongly protested the wage settlement and termed it anti-people agreement from CCPA authority through government policies.
The agitators demanded investigation into agreement on the settlent and held chief advisor of ACMS Pawan Singh Ghatowar, president BN Tanti and general secretary D Tanti and provide proper wagess to the tea estate workers.
Stepen Lakra,vice president of AASAA and Ismail Dhanowar,ABCMs leader protested the agreement and termed it a anti-people step to derail the demands of the tea garden workers.They demanded workers shold be given Rs.335 in their working wages so that they can meet their needs.
The agreement on wages has stated it clearly that in case a minimum wage under the Minimum Wages Act is notified by the Government of Assam, the notified minimum wage will apply prospectively. It further agreed that in computing the minimum wage the value of fringe benefits or the in-kind wages provided to workers shall be taken into consideration as per the law.
According to the agreement, each of the tea garden workers of the Brahmaputra Valley will get Rs 115 as daily wage between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015. Each of them will get Rs 126 per day as wage between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. Between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017, each of them will get Rs 137 as daily wage.
The terms of this settlement will be given effect from the wage period commencing on or after March 1, 2015 and arrear wages for the applicable period from January 1, 2015 will be paid by June 30, 2015.
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