Kochi:
The Association of Planters of Kerala (APK) has decided to terminate
the existing wage settlement with estate trade unions.
The notice of the termination of the settlement under section 19(2) of
the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, has already been issued and, taking
into account the current financial crisis in this sector, a new wage
settlement has to be reached with the workers, says APK chairman G J
Ancheril.
The APK chairman says the steep fall in the prices of tea, coffee and
natural rubber, coupled with the rise in cost of production to levels
much higher than the price realised by the grower, has led to the
closure of several estates in the state (). "They
were finding it difficult to pay the full wages and other statutory
benefits including the provident fund share."
Ancheril says only a realistic wage settlement will bail out the
ailing plantation sector. "The Nilgiri Planters Association is
an example worth citing: it reached an agreement with trade unions to
cut workers wages in tea plantations by 10 to 12 per cent. APK is
expecting the trade unions to realise the prevailing serious situation
and agree to some mutually-acceptable solutions that will help the
plantation sector to hold on to its operations."
APK secretary K J Joseph says it is only in Kerala that the settlement
wages are notified as the minimum wages, whereas in Tamil Nadu the
minimum wages and the settlement wages are different. "As
compared to the minimum wages of Rs 52 plus some paise per day in
Tamil Nadu, it is Rs 70-plus in Kerala. Productivity is also less
here. A worker here plucks only 14 kg of tea in eight hours, whereas
it is more in other states. In Kenya, the labour productivity is 40 kg
in eight hours for a much lower wage."
Some
of the leading planters of the state when asked about the various
commodity boards said these boards should play more of a promotional
role to promote new markets and to develop a separate brand for
natural rubber. "The government has to ensure affordable wage
rates in plantations, besides insisting on adoption of productivity
norms to become competitive with producers elsewhere."
The government should also provide facilities to cultivate fuel trees,
as firewood is the cheapest that could be used in the manufacture of
tea, they said. "Formalities and procedures to procure firewood
from own sources should be made simpler."
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Planters want centre to promote exports
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