Solutions for Tea Estate Plantation

Solutions for Tea Estate Plantation Solutions for Tea Estate Plantation in Sri Lanka It is true that as statistics show, when comparing the wages of tea estate workers with the wages of other jobs in Sri Lanka, there is a considerable wage difference. This low wage has directly affected the life styles of tea estate workers in many ways mainly for their nutrition. It is also true that due to many conditions and causes, Sri Lanka’s listed plantations’ profits slumped mainly in the June quarter of 2011. Considering both these situations, however, we have to give solutions for existing problems to continue the tea plantation in Sri Lanka. This small effort is to check for the solutions for those problems. Mainly, the low wage has affected tea estate workers in many ways. The nutrition problems, welfare problems, security problems, sanitary problems are a few of them. As the money is the central solution for these problems, the low wage thoroughly affects the life styles of tea estate workers. Directly and indirectly, over one million Sri Lankans are employed in the tea industry and most of them are Tamils. A large proportion of the workforce is young women and the minimum working age is twelve. The monthly wage of a tea estate worker is 12,000.00. All the members of the family have to depend on that 12,000.00 during a month. Sometimes, there are five or six members live in a family. With the present economic condition in the country, it is really unable to lead a good family life with that amount of money. So, basically there should be an increase of wage for the tea estate workers. Though it is true that the tea estate plantations have lost their profits due to the increasing of wage under the pressure of labor unions, this increasing of wage is necessary to exist the tea plantation in Sri Lanka. The amount they have already increased is not enough. The government and the Ministry of Labor can decide a suitable wage for them. According to I/O psychology also, money is a big motivational factor. Tea estate workers live in housing known as “lines;” a number of linearly attached houses with just one or two rooms. This housing system and the environmental sanitation conditions are generally poor for laborers in the plantation sector. Often rooms for laborers are without windows and there is little or no ventilation and as many as 6 to 11 members may often live in one room together. So, there arise many healthy problems and secure problems and it directly links to mental problems also. Workers can work properly only if they are healthy. Concerning the houses, both government and the management should involve to solve this problem. Better houses should be built and given to the workers. Though the government has already taken steps to build houses for tea estate workers, the rate of those loans are unbearable to them. So, the rate should be reduced. A special method should be introduced to deal with them. In the housing system, women and girls have no privacy from the male workers, and it leads sexual harassment. In June 2007, a study conducted in the Nuwara Eliya tea growing area revealed that the serious lack of privacy has led several women to commit suicide, especially newly wedded women (www.wikepedia.com.). So, the situation is serious. Only tae estate management can’t solve these problems. The government should involve this. It can take support from NGOs. Suicide is a country’s problem. When considering the education of the children of tea estate workers, the situation is sympathetic. According to a tea estate worker, for their children to go to a government school, they have to pay. Though other children do not pay to go to government schools, these tea estate children have to pay. This points out social discrimination. As most of the tea estate workers are Tamils, may be the authorities may take money from them. So, this situation should be clearly investigated and give immediate solutions. According to the tea estate workers, they are ill treated and over looked considering their nationality. So, if any social discrimination happens, actions should be taken to against it. After Sri Lanka’s independence in 1948, tea plantation Tamils were even denied from Sri Lankan citizenship – an injustice that has since been corrected, but remains deeply anchored in their mentality. Even they consider themselves as underclass citizens. According to studies by Christian Aid, the female Indian Tamil plantation workers are particularly at risk from discrimination and victimization (www.wikepedia.com.). This is very sympathetic. The government must involve to solve this problem. These problems are interconnected with the problems of wage. If the government do not think that they are Sri Lankans, the management also does not consider. It affects the mentality of the tea estate management. Then, would they give them a sufficient wage? It is no doubt that management consider them as slaves. Thus, it links to each other. The law should be equal to the same in the country. In the same way, tea estate school children do not have enough facilities-no computers, no books, no clothes etc. These things should be considered to the government. There are many NGOs that like to help poor children. With their support, the government can provide their needs. If these children do not get these things, though the government supplies them, there is something wrong in the process. So, immediate investigations and actions should be taken to solve these problems. Another very important problem is that tea estate workers do not get a pension. Old people particularly suffer; because there is no real pension system, retirement is never an option. Though the whole life of tea estate workers dissolved into the tea estate, they do not get a pension. Sometimes, generations to generation people work in tea estates. So, with the help of the government, a starting of a pension system should be considered. It is a duty and a responsibility of both government and the management. These people do not get their basic human rights that other people get. Saying that the factories get low profit is not a solution. So, this must be thoroughly considered. If they are done, the workers will be more motivated. The malnutrition is also another very big problem that tea estate workers have to face. Malnutrition in women and children is high. To reduce the malnutrition in children, the government should take immediate actions. Specially, here, mothers who breastfeeding their children have to be considered. They can be given special foods from the government. Further, there should be a plan to nourish younger children in tea estates. The tea estate management with the help of the government can do this. Here, rice packets or any other nitrous things can be given to school children. Though the government has started some programs so solve this problem, they do not function well. So, inquiries should be done continuously. The programs like “Janasaviya,” and “Samurdhi” should be well developed to support them. The government co-operative shops should give special discounts for tea estate workers. Another very important incident that happens in the society of tea estate workers is the marriage in early age. This happens due to several reasons. Lack of education, poverty, some social problems, sexual harassment etc. compel them to marry in early age. Girls who marry in early age, give births to children in early ages also. So, the situation is very serious. To stop this, primarily, the basic needs should be provided like food and shelter. If there is a secure shelter many sexual harassments and suicides can be prevented. As the mother’s knowledge directly affects the child, the pregnant and other young mothers should be informed how to feed their children. Clinical programs should be held for this. In the same way, a good education should be given. Further, young boys and girls should be informed the negative side of the early marriage. They should be given the knowledge how to prevent from unnecessary pregnancies and other ways of sexual precautions. In the same way, counseling centers should be started to solve their problems. But, firsts, their basic needs should be provided. In the same way, as government welfare policies are very old, they should be renewed and a good and practical welfare policies should be introduced. Another very important problem that tea estate works face is the unions. According to tea estate workers, they have to pay some money for the membership of the unions. In the same way, when the wage increases, the membership pay also increases. Further, a worker can’t directly meet the authorities of tea estates. They should be led through the unions. So, with the help of the government, the authorities can stop these things. A practical way of dealing with authorities for workers should be introduced. If the unions are a burden for the workers, they can be forbidden. Social discrimination, gender discrimination should be stopped. Proper roads and nearby medical facilities should be developed. In the same way, as the picking tea leaves are done in day time, any other simple jobs should be introduced to them to do in night and free time. It is true that management has lost their profit due to increase of wage, the above actions should be taken to improve the life styles of tea estate workers. The government can reduce the tax they impose on tea factories. In the same way, the government can reduce the money for electricity and water in the tea factories. The tea management authorities should concern about to take the best use out of minimum. The energy waste processes should be considered and give they should be given immediate solutions. As the humans are sent to pick tea leaves in dangerous slopes, the other ways of doing it should be considered. If the factory gets a good profit, the part of that should be given to workers. It is a big motivational factor. The management should always consider the mentality of the workers. Authorities should be sensitive to worker’s problem. With the help of government and NGOs, special programs and clinics for pregnant mothers and children should be held to develop their health facilities. Dental, eye etc. clinics should be conducted. All the processes in teas should be crystal clear without social and gender discrimination. Workers should be paid extra if they work extra hours. In the same way, a good market should be given to tea made in Sri Lanka. The government can interfere this. A good transport system should be introduced. If it is done a large profit can be gained. Child labor should be stopped and rigid actions should be taken against this. Nearby hospitals should be built. A good relationship should be between the authorities and unions. If these methods are given attention the tea factories can get a good profit. When considering above mentioned facts, it is clear that both government and tea estate authorities have to involve solving the existing problems among the tea estate workers. The help of NGOs is also essential when solving these problems. The government has a big role to do for tea factories to gain a good profit for tea factories. If these procedures and actions are followed, then without any damage or loss to any party, the tea plantation will exist in Sri Lanka without any fell down.