Duliajan: The Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA) on Friday morning staged a road blockade at Tingrai Chariali under Dibrugarh District demanding a bonus of 20 percent for the tea garden workers ahead of Durga Puja this year.
It is to be noted that the Dibrugarh district administration has also asked tea garden owners to pay puja bonus to plantation workers by September 20.
The tea planters were also asked to announce the “quantum” of puja bonus before September 5 during a tripartite meeting on Wednesday evening (Aug 28) that was chaired by additional deputy commissioner Sanjay Dutta.
The tea industry was urged to transfer the bonus amount directly to the bank accounts of the workers instead of the old method of cash payment.
Under the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 the minimum bonus payable is 8.33% while the maximum stands at 20%. All permanent and temporary workers who have worked for a minimum period of 30 days are entitled to the benefit.
“We have asked the tea garden owners to announce the percentage of puja bonus before September 5. They have also been asked to make the bonus payment by September 20 so that the workers get enough time to make their puja purchases. We want the whole bonus payment procedure to be without any issue,” said Dibrugarh Assistant Labour Commissioner Kanpai Das on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Former Union DoNER minister Paban Singh Ghatowar and president of the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha addressing a press meet in Dibrugarh on Thursday urged the tea industry to pay the highest rate of bonus (20%) to tea garden workers this year. His appeal came in the backdrop of the recent announcement by the Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA) that the tea industry may not be able to pay more other than the minimum 8.33 percent stipulated under The Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 due to ongoing recession in the tea industry.