Tea Tribe organisations protest against McLeod Russel over alleged denial of jobs to local youth

Tension gripped Margherita on Wednesday, May 20, after members of the Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA), along with the Assam Tea Tribes Women’s Committee, staged a massive protest against the management of McLeod Russel, alleging that the company’s employment practices are jeopardising the future of educated youth from tea tribe communities.
 

The organisations carried out a five-hour democratic sit-in demonstration in front of the advisory office of the company in Margherita, demanding immediate recruitment of local educated unemployed youth in vacant posts across tea gardens.
 

The protesters alleged that the company has been unofficially retaining several employees in service even after their retirement, thereby blocking employment opportunities for deserving local youths.
 

Members of ATTSA expressed strong resentment over what they described as a growing unemployment crisis among educated tea tribe youths. They claimed that every year many students from tea garden communities complete their higher education, but due to the lack of new appointments in tea estates, joblessness has increased significantly.
 

According to the protesters, the situation has led to a deep social crisis, leaving thousands of educated young men and women from tea garden areas without employment opportunities.
 

The Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association, Margherita branch, demanded that the company immediately stop the practice of re-employing retired staff and instead provide jobs to local educated youths from tea tribe communities without further delay.
 

A large number of youths, students and local residents participated in the protest demonstration. The agitators warned that if the management of McLeod Russel fails to change its policy, the movement will intensify in the coming days.