Seven tea estates in Vandiperiyar face threat of closure

Tea plantations in Vandiperiyar facing shutdown due to wage issues, historical estates under threat, workers struggle for livelihood.

Seven tea estates under the POABS group in Vandiperiyar are facing a facing a threat of closure.

According to workers, the management has failed to provide wages and benefits to employees of Pambanar, Granby, Munjamullay, Nellikai, Thengakal, Injikadu, and Pasumallay estates for the past five months.

According to plantation leaders, the seven estates cover a total of 1,440 hectares of land. The estates have 1,400 workers, including 1,100 permanent workers. They have not been receiving their salaries and other benefits from December onwards.

The workers suspect that the estates are facing a shutdown. According to them, the POABS group took over the estates in 2008, following their closure in 2000. No harvesting have been going on in the estates at present, said the workers, who added that this is also contributing to the loss of the company.

According to vendors here, Vandiperiyar mainly depends on plantation workers. Because of the wages issues in the estates, the traders here are also in trouble.

Historical records noted that these tea estates in Vandiperiyar were established by British planters during the early period of the plantation industry.

Kerala Plantation Workers Union (INTUC) general secretary Shaji Pynadathu said that a talk was held with Labour Minister V. Sivankutty on April 25. “However, the discussion failed as the management was unwilling to ensure the payment of salaries,” he said. “ Following this, the plantation workers’ unions and workers decided to collect tea leaves from the estates and sell it on their own, which forced the hands of the management. As of now, they have promised to pay one month’s salary within a week. The Labour department and the government have failed to intervene in the livelihood issue of hundreds of workers,” added Mr. Pynadathu.