Tea workers agitating in Jhapa

Bhadrapur, March 31 . The tea workers working in various tea estates in Jhapa district launched a joint phase-wise agitation from Sunday demanding the minimum wage structure determined by the government since the beginning of the current fiscal year of 2018/19.

As part of their protest, the workers associated with the Nepal Tea Estate Workers Association, Nepal Agriculture and Tea Estate Workers Association and All Nepal Tea State Workers Association organised a protest assembly in Chandragadhi in the district and padlocked the Tea Trust.

They marched a rally with placards in their hands reading slogans as ‘Implement the Labour Act’, ‘Implement the Minimum Wage determined in the national gazette, and before turning into a corner meet at Trade Union Chowk. They have also put up with banners with their demands written on it.

Nepal Tea Estate Workers Association President Deepak Tamang said that they took to the streets as they were not paid the minimum wage determined by the government–Rs 231 as a daily wage and Rs 154 as an inflation allowance.

Likewise, All Nepal Tea Estate Workers Association President Sita Sapkota shared that they were forced to resort to the agitation after the negotiation with the tea estate owners and the workers failed repeatedly.

The agitators from Jhapa, Ilam, Dhankuta and Panchthar are scheduled to stage protests with their agricultural tools on April 1 and organise a protest assembly in Birtamode on April 2 and in Kakadbitta on April 3.RSS