The security of employment of these plantations workers is abysmally low with their employers consistently declining to treat them as human beings for the employers', greed or the profit motive knows no bounds. Instead of converting the ad hoc workers as permanent ones, the employers have been displaying a disturbing propensity to keep them as ad hoc workers indefinitely with little prospect for their being confirmed in their posts. So depressing is the scene that those who are plucking the (tea) leaves today will have to get a fresh 'appointment' tomorrow in some cases. They cannot dream of the benefits that accrue to a confirmed employee.

Even the lots of the permanent workers in the tea gardens are no better as they are also being deprived from the statutory benefits. According to the law the tea garden workers are entitled to medical treatment provided by the employers. They are to be supplied with potable drinking water, housing accommodation and electricity too. Let alone, the question of medical treatment, they are also not being supplied adequate quantity of fuel-wood even.

Everyone in the country knows by now that the tea industry instead of being put into any kind of recession, has during the past fifteen years increased its profit manifold denying at the same time its workers a minimum living wage. Thus the workers employees in the tea industry have fallen prey to the limitless greed of the employers. Even though the indigenous production of tea in India has increased around 5% each year there has not been any corresponding increase in the number of permanent workers in the tea industry. In addition to this, there has been increase in acreage in plantation area in West Bengal. How could then this increased production be effected? It is a question of simple arithmetic. By employing a few more casual workers, when such employment became unavoidable too. Still there are some who are paid a cash wage on daily basis, depending of course on the kilogram of tea leaves one casual or daily-rated worker plucks on a particular day. And the employers have through clever means avoided their responsibility for offering the permanent status to some by cheating the provisions of law. Instances are galore to suggest that the same man or woman have been employed for the second day consecutively with his or her name changed on the second day.

This method of exploitation has gone on unabated with the coffers of the employers boosted year after year. But the coordination committee of trade unions of the tea garden workers one-day raised their voice demanding security of employment. In 1993 the committee demanded that the employers will have to employ workers at the rate of 120 permanent workers per hundred acres of planted area. Following the nod of the management a tripartite committee with representatives of the management, an official of the State Labour directorate and trade union leaders was formed to consider the issues raised. Although almost five years have elapsed no progress has been made. The committee has virtually been defunct.

The Co-ordination Committee of the Plantation Workers by a letter dated 28.06.1999 and the Defence Committee for Plantation Workers Rights by a letter dated 22.06.1999 served notices of strike informing all concerned that the workmen engaged in Tea Plantation Industry in West Bengal will go on continuous strike on and from 12 July unless the demands as mentioned in their respective notices of strike are fulfilled the issues were immediately taken up in conciliation and tripartite meetings were held on 30.6.1999, 01.07.1999 & 09.07.1999. The West Bengal Labour Minister and the Minister for Employment ESI and Minority Affairs were present in the conciliation meetings. The notice of strike mentioned about several unfulfilled demands. While there was progress in some of the issues, on three main issues differences still exist. The issues are: -

1. Additional Employment and Decasualisation - A tripartite Committee was constituted to examine the issue of decasualisation and additional employment as per proceedings of the tripartite meeting held on 20.7.94. However, no consensus could be reached and the committee could not make any recommendation on the issues. Unions demanded that Land Labour Ratio should be fixed at 1.2 worker per acre. They suggested that employment in plantation should be on the basis of a clear guideline, which can be agreed upon by the parties. Management offered to provide additional employment on ad hoc basis and that allotment of such additional employment to individual gardens is to be done by the CCPA on the basis of Land Labour Ratio, productivity and capacity of employers to take. Unions did not agree to this proposal. They argued that allotment should not be on ad hoc basis.
2. Recategorisation and Upgradation - Unions demanded that some daily rated workers should be converted to monthly rated workers and demanded upgradation for certain categories of workers. This matter was also a pending issue before the above-mentioned committee. In the committee management agreed to give OMRE Gr. III in respect of five workmen per garden and they agreed to upgrade two workmen from OMRE Gr. III in respect of five workmen per garden and they agreed to upgrade two workmen from OMRE Gr. III to OMRE Gr. II. Unions' demand on the issues includes conversion of all workers working in factory or receiving additional compensation be paid on monthly basis.
3. Group Hospitals - Rule 23 of the West Bengal Plantation Labour Rules provides that Group Hospitals will have to be provided by the employers. Such hospitals are to be established after consultation with the Medical Advisory Board and plans for Group Hospitals will also have to be approved by the State Government. "For long, unions have been ventilating strong resentment for not setting up Group Hospitals as provided under the Act and the State Rules. The employers while acknowledging their obligation in this regard pointed out some problems like raising of funds and management of hospitals. The matter was discussed in the Medical Advisory Board for tea plantation workers where a proposal was discussed on setting up of about half a dozen Group Hospitals in the region. However, there was no consensus in the meeting of the Medical Advisory Board. Unions demanded that management should enter into an agreement for setting up five a six Group Hospitals. Representative of Planters' Association argued that the matter could be discussed in the Medical Advisory Board or the State Government can notify about the establishment of Group Hospitals but they were not in a position to make any agreement on establishment of the Group Hospitals as demanded by the unions.