Palerbond Tea Labourers Block Silchar–Imphal Highway Over Unpaid Wages

Hundreds of tea labourers from Palerbond Tea Estate in Cachar blocked the Silchar–Imphal National Highway on Saturday (September 6) to demand their pending wages, bringing traffic to a standstill for several hours. They also complained that their bonus doesn’t get credited on time, along with other unfulfilled promises.

According to reports, workers from at least five divisions of the estate have not received their wages for months. Along with salaries, rations too have not been provided, forcing workers and their families into severe hardship.

“We don’t get our demands fulfilled. On top of that, we are not getting paid for our labour and what we deserve. We are Adivasi people, the tea garden is our only source of income, and we have nothing else. Durga Puja is coming soon. What clothes will we buy for our children? We have held strikes three to four times, demanding wages. Today we blocked the road, and if required, we will do it again,” said one tea garden labourer.

The protest, which lasted nearly four hours, led to long queues of stranded vehicles on the highway. Police and administration officials rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the workers, but the blockade continued till the evening.

Another labourer recalled last year’s hardship: “Last year we got our bonus on the night of Sasthi. We celebrated Durga Puja with old clothes. We could buy nothing.”

The workers warned that unless their dues are cleared immediately, stronger forms of protest may follow in the coming days.