In an attempt to bring parity in the wage structure of tea plantation workers throughout India, the Union government is considering forming an independent wage board in lines of the same applicable for the plantation workers in the coffee and rubber industry in South India.
The proposal to form an independent wage board, which had been a long-standing demand of the National Union of Plantation Workers, has been forwarded by the West Bengal labour department to the Union labour ministry.
According to the West Bengal labour minister, Anadi Sahu, the initial reaction of the Union government on this proposal has been quite positive. He also said that even the Tea Board has been more or less positive on this proposal.
As per the proposal, workers throughout the country can be fixed keeping as base the plantation worker concerned along with three dependent members of the family. Once the independent wage board is formed at the national level, their recommendations on wage fixation would be mandatory for the employees in the sector.
Senior tea board sources admitted that huge disparity in the wage structure for the tea plantation workers in southern India and those in the eastern and north eastern India. A senior board official pointed in case of south-based tea gardens, all the perquisites and fringe benefits are part of the salary and hence workers’ interest is well-protected.
There is another disparity. In case of the gardens in south India, two members of same family working in a particular garden are considered as two separate employment benefits. However, in most cases of eastern and north eastern tea gardens, these benefits are not available.
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