Lok Sabha Question No. 1160 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-06
Subject: Tea Garden Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Badruddin Ajmal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1160 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2021

## TEA GARDEN WORKERS

## 1160. 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 and night to provide the best Tea products to the country, are  living  miserable  lives  in  Assam  tea  garden  areas,  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 details thereof; and
- (f)if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b): The  Plantations  Labour  (PL)  Act,  1951  provides  for  the safety,  health  and  welfare  of  labour  and  regulates  the  conditions  of work  in  plantations.    The  Act  provides  the  workers  with  reasonable amenities such as 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, sufficient number of laterines and urinals separately for males and females,  canteens,  crèches and  recreational  facilities  for  the

benefit of the tea plantation workers and their families in and around the of employment  regulating  the  working  hours  of  workers  employed  in  the plantations  in  the  tea  estates.  The  PL  Act  is  implemented  through  the work places. The Act also provides for hours and limitation concerned State Governments.

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

The  Tea  Board  also  supports  and  extends  various  welfare measures for the welfare of tea workers and their wards/dependants. The 'Tea achieving improvements  in  the   life  and  living  conditions  of  the  Tea  Plantation labour welfare measures are undertaken under the overall Development & Promotion Scheme''. This aims at workers and their dependents under  the three broad areas viz.

- (i) Improving the health and hygiene of workers and their dependants;
- (ii)
- (iii)
- Education of wards of workers
- Training to the wards/dependants on workers.

The  Tea  Board  has  disbursed  Rs.  3.07  crores  for  Assam  tea gardens  under  this  Scheme  for  the  benefit  of  the  workers  and  their wards/dependents from 2017-18 to 30.11.2021.

- (c) to (f): The  fixation  of  minimum  wages  for  tea  garden  workers  falls under  the  purview  of  State  Governments  which  are  the  appropriate Government to fix/revise the minimum wages as per the provisions under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.

The wages for workers, and staff employed in tea estates are fixed  through  a  process  of  collective  bargaining  held  between  the Management and the workers' Unions. In case of Assam, the negotiations are concluded at a Bi-partite level and thereafter the agreement is sent to the State Government. The same is examined by the State Government and notified thereafter.

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