Bitter Tea

Photo@Arijit Sen--All Rights Reserved

Trade Unions, Tea bodies and the government in Assam have decided to give an increment to labourers in tea gardens. All this has been done probably keeping in mind the state elections in 2011. Sadly, post-raise it appears that the trade unions have stayed on in negotiations as a yes-body. The wage increment is just one small example of labour exploitation. Not just Assam and tea, it is a trend across India.

Photo@Arijit Sen--All Rights Reserved

Photo@Arijit Sen--All Rights Reserved

Photo@Arijit Sen--All Rights Reserved

Photo@Arijit Sen--All Rights Reserved

These labourers, asked us for money half-jokingly when they were being photographed. The tea industry not just in Assam but across India has come out of a slump after almost 10 years. When we met the top policy guys in tea, they said that it is a labour intensive industry and wages should not judged on the basis of money alone. We were told that there are also a lot of other benefits ( like subsidised ration/medical care) given to the workers. And now a raise.What is the raise amount? Rs 18 over a period of 45 months. How will the raise play out. In the first 15 months, the raise will be Rs 8. In the next 15 months, the raise will be Rs 5. And as a third and final installment Rs 5 will be increased in the next 15 months.

Photo@Arijit Sen--All Rights Reserved

Sombaru works in a tea estate in Assam. A gentle, welcoming and helpful soul, he looks after labourers involved in plantation. A supervisory position that gives him the title of sardar. We met him near Kaziranga. When informed that the wages of daily labourers have been increased from Rs 58 per day to Rs 66 per day, he was clueless. We found out that wages are often paid in these gardens not on a daily basis and only per week. Subsidised ration that the labourers are entitled to is also not up to the mark.