Tea Association of India (TAI) recommended hourly wage rate for garden workers and also lauded the Assam Government’s initiative to organize a multi-stakeholder consultation in the presence of representatives of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The hourly wage rate to tea garden workers is permitted under the Minimum Wages Act.

It may be mentioned that, a meeting was organized by the state government’s labour department on Saturday where the ILO was invited to advice on minimum wages and adequate wages for plantation workers, reports said. The meeting was also attended by representatives of various other producers’ associations and labour unions.

Representatives of ILO stated that sustainability of the tea industry should be taken into consideration while fixing wages.

Tea garden workers in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam currently get Rs 232 as daily wage, while the rate in Barak valley is Rs 210. The workers are also provided ration by the garden management as a component in addition to the wages paid in cash, TAI officials said.

In March this year, Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog while presenting the budget for the fiscal year 2023-24 announced the extension of the Assam Tea Industries Special Incentives Scheme (ATISIS), adding that the orthodox subsidy has been increased from Rs 7 to Rs 10. The finance minister also mentioned that this will help celebrate 200 glorious years of Assam Tea in a befitting manner while announcing that on the occasion, the subsidy increase will be Rs 12.