Dibrugarh, Aug. 12: The Assam government has directed 17 leading tea companies, including McLeod Russell India Limited and Amalgamated Plantations, to remove disparity in the calculation of bonus for the employees in Assam and Bengal, within a month.

The government directive was discussed at a meeting here last evening, which was attended by labour commissioner Ganesh Kalita, representatives of tea companies and Asom Chah Karmachari Sangha (ACKS).

Assistant labour commissioners of various districts were also present in the meeting.

The ACKS is the lone union representing around 20,000 employees across the Brahmaputra Valley.

“Representatives ofcertain companies had pleaded for some more time, but the commissioner asked them to settle the issue within a month’s time,” an official present in the meeting said.

The ACKS had launched an agitation last year protesting the disparity between employees of the two states.

After a prolonged agitation, the trade union had accepted the bonus last year in the larger interest of its members.

Expressing satisfaction over the decision, ACKS general secretary Girish Chandra Borpatra Gohain, said, “The companies had not shown any genuine interest in settling the bonus issue last year. It is a welcome step now that the companies have agreed to remove the disparity on bonus. We will wait till it becomes a reality.”

The commissioner also made it clear that Dispur does not want to see any unnecessary trouble in the tea belt ahead of the festive season.

“Therefore, the companies were asked to settle the pending issue of the employees before beginning the bilateral discussions on bonus related issues for the current year,” the official said.

Bonus is given to the tea garden employees and labourers according to the provisions made in the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965.

The act states that an employer has to give bonus to his employees and labourers, at least at the rate of 8.33 per cent even if he is facing a financial loss.