The lives of tea-estate workers in West Bengal have worsened in many aspects over the years
The tea plantation sector continues to play a significant role in the economy of north Bengal. There are 276 organised tea estates spread over the three tea-growing regions of West Bengal: Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars. Besides the formally registered large tea plantations, there are thousands of small growers. According to one estimate, the plantations employ about three lakh permanent daily-wage workers. However, despite their large numbers, the issues of tea plantation workers, such as labour standards and violation of human rights, hardly get any space in the media, let alone being discussed in policy circles. As the plantations are located in remote places, the narratives of deprivation remain confined to these alienated enclaves.
Our independent survey in 30 tea gardens across West Bengal in 2017 revealed that the living conditions in the plantations have not seen any improvement in decades. In fact, the situation has worsened in some respects in recent years, despite the presence of laws for labour protection.
Dismal implementation of law
The Plantations Labour Act (PLA), 1951 gave certain social and economic rights to the workers. Nevertheless, the ground realities point to a dismal implementation of the Act’s major provisions in West Bengal.
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