Daily wage of tea garden workers hiked in Brahmaputra Valley

The Assam tea industry has hiked the daily wages of tea garden workers of Brahmaputra Valley. The increase would be of Rs 18 in three phases and with retrospective effect from January 1 this year.

An agreement to this effect was reached last week in Dibrugarh at a meeting between Consultative Committee of Planters' Association (CCPA) and Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS). Sources said that as per the agreement, the workers would get a hike of Rs 8 per day for the first 15 months with retrospective effect from January 1, 2010. Thereafter, from April 1, 2011 till September 30, 2013, the hike would of Rs 5 per day.

Wage revision for tea garden workers of Barak Valley is not yet due, said sources.

Sources said the tea industry hiked the wages as the tenure of the industry-wise agreement dated November 30, 2005 on wages for daily rated workers in the Assam Valley had expired on December 31 2009.

He said that during the course of discussion, CCPA stressed on the long tern sustainability of the tea industry. It was agreed that productivity issues needed to be addressed immediately.

Sources said that the employers' association expressed concern at the growing trend of absenteeism of permanent workers and discussed ways and means with ACMS to curb the trend. ACMS, the workers association, agreed to co-operate with the garden managements in their effort to reduce absenteeism.