Lok Sabha Question No. 922 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-26
Subject: Labourers in Tea Products
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Badruddin Ajmal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 922

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2021

## LABOURERS IN TEA PRODUCTS

## 922.  SHRI M. BADRUDDIN AJMAL:

Will  the  Minister  of  LABOUR  AND  EMPLOYMENT  be  pleased  to state:

- (a)whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  fact  that  labourers  who work day & night to provide the best Tea products to the country, are living a miserable live in Assam tea garden areas being deprived of proper healthcare facility, proper shelter to live in and educational facility for their children;
- (b)if  so,  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  provide  them  with healthy lives;
- (c)whether it is a fact that these workers are paid very less wage by the companies and tea garden owners;
- (d)if  so,  whether  the  Government  has  made/will  make  policy  for
- making a proper payment compulsory to these workers;
- (e)if so, the detail thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

- (a) & (b): The Plantations Labour (PL) Act, 1951 regulates the conditions  of  work  in  plantations  and  provide  for  the  welfare  of plantation  labour.    The  Act  requires  the  employers  to  provide  the workers  with  housing,  medical  facilities,  sickness  and  maternity benefits  and  other  forms  of  social  security  measures.   There  are provisions  for  educational  facility  for  the  worker's  children,  drinking water, conservancy, canteens, crèches and recreational facilities for the  benefit  of  the  tea  plantation  workers  and  their  families  in  and around the work places in the tea estates. The PL Act is implemented through  the  concerned  State  Governments  for  which  separate  Rules have been framed by them.

Moreover, the workers of the tea industry are also covered by  various  industrial  and  social  security  legislations  like  Employees' Compensation  Act,  1923,    Payment  of  Gratuity  Act,  1972,  Provident Funds  &  Miscellaneous  Provisions  Act,  1952,  (Assam  Tea  Plantation Fund Scheme  Act  1955  -  only  for  Assam),  Payment  of  Bonus  Act,  1965, Maternity  Benefit  Act,  1961,  Payment  of  Wages  Act,  1936,  Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the Factories

Provident  Fund,  Pension  Fund  and  Deposit  Link  Insurance Act and Industrial Employment (Standing Order) Act, 1946.

Tea  Board  also  supports  and  extends  various  welfare measures for the welfare of tea workers and their wards/dependents, which  are  supplemental  in  nature.  The  labour  welfare  measures  are undertaken within the ambit of the Plan scheme of the Board i.e. 'Tea Development & Promotion Scheme'. The Human Resource Development  component  aims  at  achieving  improvements  in  the  life and living conditions of the Tea plantation workers and their dependents under the three broad areas viz. (a) Improving the health and hygiene of workers and their dependents; (b) Education of wards of workers and (c) Training to the wards/dependents on workers.

(c) to (e): The  fixation  of  minimum  wages  for  tea  garden  workers, falls under the purview of State Government which are the appropriate Government  to  fix/revise  the  minimum  wages  as  per  the  provision under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.  Wages are notified by the Assam Government from time to time following stakeholders' consultations. The present daily wages of tea garden worker (cash component only) is

- a)

- Brahmputra valley:

Rs. 205/-

- b)

- Barak Valley:

Rs. 183/-

In addition to the cash component, tea garden workers are also  provided  facilities,  which  include  housing,  medical  facilities, sickness  and  maternity  benefits  and  other  forms  of  social  security measure as covered under the Plantation Labour Act, 1951.

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