ON 20th August, 2018, the Joint Action Committee of Tea Workers Wage (JACTWW) called a day long strike (Bagisa Bondh) on the demand of Rs 351.33 per day wage of tea workers. This is longstanding demand of tea workers of Assam, and JACTWW has been build up struggle on this demand. JACTWW is the common platform of Left TUs and Tea Nationalities organizations comprising Asom Sangrami Chah Shramik Sangh, Akhil Bharatio Chah Mazdur Sangh, Asom Majuri Shramik Union, Chah Mukti Sangram Samittee, Asom Mazdur Union, All Assam Adivashi Students Association, All Assam Adivashi Mahila Samittee etc. In every part of Assam, the tea workers’ strike was very successful: most of the major tea gardens of the Brahmaputra valley remain closed due to strike. The tea factories also were closed. More than 6 lakh tea workers participated in the strike. To take the example of one district: out of 16 gardens of Biswanath district,15 gardens were closed.
Before the Strike, an all-party meeting was held at Guwahati in support of the strike, where CPIML, CPI(M), CPI, AAP, LDP participated. On the other hand the Congress-led Union ACMS (Asom Chah Mazdur Sangh) tried to foil the strike in every possible way, but tea workers defeated them, exposing how ACMS is helping the BJP Government suppress the tea workers’ rights.
In support of the tea strikers’ demands, the Labour Minister’s effigy was burnt on 20 August in Dibrugarh.
