A woman picks tea on an estate which has been transformed with one of CARE's new forums. © CARE / Helen Barnes
Over the past ten years, CARE has been working with to improve working and living conditions for tea estate communities in Sri Lanka. The Ethical Tea Partnership is CARE’s valued partner in the programme.
Vilasamigansham is a worker on a tea estate and a trade union representative. On Vilasamigansham’s estate, CARE has established a Community Development Forum. Its members are trained to run monthly meetings and work together to build a formal working plan.
Previously relations between managers and staff were polarised. Managers rarely met workers as a group. Discussions with individuals were conducted through barred windows.
The new forum gives workers and trade union representatives like Vilasamigansham the chance to negotiate with estate managers on targets, wages and working conditions. The estate residents and managers have agreed to investment in community essentials such as water and education.
The forum has also developed provision of business enterprise training to help residents increase their incomes.
“In the past, union members took aggressive action. Now we’ve learned it’s more effective to talk and build up relations with managers. We discuss our concerns with managers and workers at forum meetings and agree a way forward as a group.” Vilasamigansham, Trade Union Representative and Tea Estate Worker
A Forum for All
Benefits reported by communities involved include more constructive relationships with managers, improved working conditions and better community facilities. There is also higher birth and voter registration amongst those who have been able to participate.
Women are active members of the forums. Involvement means gaining the respect of their families, fellow workers and managers. For the first time, the gendered division of labour in the tea industry is being challenged. There have been appointments of female ‘kankanis’ - tea picking team supervisors – a role traditionally held by men.
This system of communication works well for all concerned, including senior managers. They have reported positive changes in relationships between workers and managers, productivity improvements and a reduction in losses from industrial action.
“We’re getting unbelievable responses from managers…we couldn’t believe the productivity figures that have come up on the estates.” Tea company CEO
