Dibrugarh, Sept 22: The plantations' management of Panitola Tea Estate in the district had to flee after agitated workers turned aggressive over bonus on Friday, prompting the management to shut all works in the plantations.
Tension arose at the tea estate after a crowd of around 600 agitated workers stormed the factory premises, demanding full payment of their Durga Puja bonus and ex-gratia in one go.
According to company sources, the unrest erupted when workers, dissatisfied with a proposed split-payment structure, gathered at the factory gate and demanded immediate full disbursement. The situation quickly spiralled out of control as the crowd forcibly shut down factory operations, ejecting staff and halting production.
As a result, nearly 40,000 kgs of freshly plucked green leaf were left unprocessed, leading to substantial losses. The confrontation forced the company to withdraw all managerial staff from the estate, throwing the festival-related disbursement into uncertainty.
Protesters reportedly raised anti-management slogans and began searching for the estate manager, who, along with other executives, fled the premises as the situation turned increasingly volatile. It is reported that the local ACMS and ATTSA leaders tried to deescalate the situation but the workers ignored them. Police were called in and had to intervene to rescue officials trapped inside the manager's bungalow, surrounded by the irate crowd.
Notably, the tea company - M K Jokai Agri Plantations Pvt Ltd operates six estates in the region. Five of them have already accepted the proposed payment plan-15 per cent bonus and 5 per cent ex-gratia in two instalments-and have received their first payment. However, the unrest in Panitola Tea Estate cast a shadow over timely payouts ahead of the Durga Puja festivities.
However, after protracted conciliation meeting on Saturday in presence of the Circle Officer Mitali Lahon, Assam Branch Indian Tea Association (ABITA) Zone 1 secretary Madhurjya Barooah and Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) Panitola Branch Secretary Raju Sahu, the tea workers agreed to the proposed payment plan. The management will pay the 15 per cent bonus and ex -gratia before Durga Puja festival and the balance 5 per cent before Magh Bihu, 2026. Following a mutual agreement, management decided to resume normal operations at the tea garden starting September 22.
Barooah informed that the prolonged negotiation process, involving multiple rounds of discussions, delayed resolution. "Workers had been demanding a 20 per cent bonus, which has been accepted by the tea companies despite significant financial strain. However, the full disbursement of the bonus in a single installment remains unfeasible, given the current financial challenges faced by the estates. The reason for proposing the split bonus and ex-gratia was also explained to them," he told The Assam Tribune.
He also expressed concern over the behavior of certain workers during the negotiations, including instances of misconduct towards representatives of the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha, who were advocating on their behalf. "The agitation led to a complete shutdown of the tea estate for two days, causing further loss to the workers," Barooah stated.