Employees of Tocklai Tea Research Association (TRA), including scientists, went on strike on Thursday demanding implementation of 7th Pay Commission.
The TRA employees staged a demonstration in front of the office of the director from 9 a.m for eight hours in support of their demands. Officers union and employees union jointly staged protest in another sub-station of TRA during working hours on Thursday.
“We staged a protest against government apathy towards our institute on implementing the 7th Pay Commission,” resident of the TRA officers union Shyamal Prasad Baruah told Northeast Now.
“The Union ministry of commerce and industry has been providing grant-in-aid to TRA since 1964 as per the MoU signed by both parties. But the Union ministry has not been paying the grant-in-aid regularly,”Baruah said.
“As per the MoU signed in 1964 and service rule implemented from January 1, 1998, TRA employees will have to get benefits like other central government employees. But the government has not provided the benefits of 7th Pay Commission to TRA employees due to some unknown reason,” he added.
TRA Tocklai looks after research and development of the Indian tea industry.
It carries out and promotes research on tea with the principal objective of improving overall productivity and quality.
It is a pioneer in the research and development on tea and an innovator in providing extension services to the tea industry.