MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)
(a): No Sir. However, the Plantation 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 form of social security measures. There are
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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.
(b): Yes sir. The labour welfare measures are undertaken within the ambit of the Plan Scheme of the Tea Board i.e. Human Resource Development component (HRD) under the overall “Tea Development & Promotion Scheme’’. This HRD 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 dependants; (b) Education of wards of workers & (c) Training to the wards/dependants of workers. During the last 5 years (2014-15 to 2018-19) Tea Board has disbursed Rs.22 Crs. under the HRD component for the welfare of tea garden workers. Tea Board also supports and extends certain welfare measures for the welfare of tea workers and their wards/dependants, which is supplemental in nature.
(c): The wages for workers employed in tea estates in Assam are fixed through a process of negotiations 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 for notification. Presently, the workers of Assam valley are paid Rs.167.00 per day and workers of Barak Valley are paid Rs.145.00 per day as daily wage.
(d): No Sir. However, under the Employees’ compensation Act, 1923 which is applicable to organised tea plantations, there is a provision for compensation to the dependents of workers.
(e): The Plantation Labour Act, 1951 mandates the tea estates to provide basic welfare services and amenities viz. housing, medical and primary education, water supply, sanitation etc. to the tea workers. Moreover, the workers of the tea industry are covered by all social security legislations like the Employees’ Compensation Act, 1923, the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, the Employees’ Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, the Payment of Bonus
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Act, 1965, the Maternity Benefit Act 1961, the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, the Assam Tea Plantation Provident Fund, Pension Fund and Deposit Link Insurance Fund Scheme Act 1955 – only for Assam.
Besides, the government implements through the Tea Board various welfare activities for tea plantation workers and their dependents in tea estates. The welfare activities undertaken by the Tea Board under the Human Resource Development (HRD) Scheme aim at improving the health and hygiene of workers, education of wards of workers and imparting training to improve skills for growers/workers.
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