Gauhati HC stays wage hike for Assam tea garden workers

Guwahati, March 11 : In a new twist in poll-bound Assam, the Gauhati High Court has stayed the state government’s decision to enhance daily wages to over 7.46 lakh tea garden workers in the state.
A court official on Thursday said that the court stayed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government’s February 20 decision to hike the daily wages to 7,46,667 tea garden workers by Rs 50 — from Rs 167 to Rs 217 — on a petition filed by the Indian Tea Association (ITA).
Hearing the petition of the ITA and 17 tea companies that own over 90 per cent of tea estates in Assam, Justice Michael Zothankhuma upheld the argument that the wage hike was “illegal” as no committee or sub-committee had been formed, as required under relevant sections of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
The court asked the government not to take any action against the ITA and the tea companies until a case challenging the state Labour Department’s notification on the wage hike, is disposed of.
As the Assembly poll campaign picked up, the focus of all parties have been more on the tea garden votes. In wake of the court order, the leaders of the Congress-led seven party “Mahajot” (grand alliance) and the front headed by the Assam Jatiya Parishad have immediately begun campaigning against the BJP’s “betrayal of trust” with the tea workers.
The Congress already announced five “guarantees” for the people to be fulfilled if the party comes to power, including raising the tea workers’ daily wages to Rs 365 from the existing Rs 167.