Collective Bargaining of Tea Company

7/30/2019 Collective Bargaining of Tea Company

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Rakesh Kumar


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Collective bargaining is a process of negotiationsbetween employers and a group of employees aimed at

reaching agreements that regulate working conditions

Discussion of Issues:-

Wage Scale

Working Hours

Duration of ContractHealth & Safety

Training etc.


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In India the first collective bargaining agreement

was conducted in 1920 at the instance of Mahatma

Gandhi to regulate labour management relation

between a group of employers and their workers inthe textile industry in Ahmadabad.


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1823A tea plant was discovered by Robert Bruce and

Bessagaum in Assam

1839The Assam Company, worlds first tea company,was established

2012

Tea Production : 988.32 million kg

Turnover : more than 10,000 croreNo. of employed people: more than 1.2

million


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-

10 Tea Associations in India (ConsultativeCommittee of Plantations Associations - CCPA)

15 Trade Unions in Tea Gardens (Assam &

West Bengal)

Tea Board of India

In presence of State Government


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Minimum employment age: 15 years

Free housing and medical facilities to employees

Food grains at highly subsidised rates for the employees

)

Increased quantum of fringe benefits

* 900g dry tea leaves per month

*342 cubic feet of firewood


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Puja Bonus for tea workers at 20%

Fixed daily wage per head at Rs. 84 for JanDec 2012

*Every year, wage will be increased by Rs.5

*Incentives to curb absenteeism


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Started in the year 1964 by J.R.D Tata Formerly known as Tata Tea

Headquartered in Kolkata, Paschimbangaa

Includes brands like:

Tata Tea Tetley

Good Earth Teas

JEMCA Acquired Tetley (UK company) in the year 2000

for $432 million

Current MD & CEO:Mr R K Krishna Kumar


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On May 9th August 2009, a pregnant lady worker

(Mrs. AartiOraon) collapsed while working on thefield

It happened in the NoweraNuddy plant in

Jalpaiguri, Paschimbangaa

Lady was 8 months pregnant and she was denied

maternity leave even after applying several times

She was not even provided with the basic medical

treatment after collapsing in the field

No transport facility was provided to her and she

was carried to the hospital in a garbage tractor


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8 women who took the lady to the hospital & helped her

were suspended along with the lady

Arrest warrant against Mrs. AartiOraon for theft,

grievous bodily harm & criminal intimidation

Protest against the company by 500 women workersworking at that particular location

Lockout at the plantation for continuous 4 months i.e.

August- December Agreement signed with trade union in front of minority

workers present, resulting in 2nd lockout

Lockout forced the employees to face extreme conditions:

hunger


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All the employees were denied wages, let alone

bonuses Condition was so extreme that emergency ration was

distributed

IUF raised its voice and asked for:*Allowing suspended workers back

*Withdrawal of FIR against Mrs. AartiOraon

*Clearing of wages due to the workers

*Starting the plant again


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It was proposed that:

Both the party should withdraw the case Payments to all workers employed, from the time of the

second lockout

Family members of the two dismissed workers to be offeredpermanent jobs and the two dismissed workers to be given

compensation

Management to make a cash payment to Mrs. Oraons child

as a gesture of goodwill a joint union-management meeting to be held at the estate to

establish procedures and mechanisms for resolving grievances

and raising awareness on maternity benefits and protection


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The case of Viva Global 400 male workers and 200 females workers in company --- demand

for wage increment in April 2010 after minimum wages revised in

January 2010--- stopped the work for two hrs every day April 8-10

One worker dismissed---protest----15 workers taken in custody

Workers started their efforts to form trade union

Protest ended-demands fulfilled---minimum wage, formal contract-ESIand PF

But Soon management started throwing out workers one by one

Workers successfully registered union in May 2010; collectively

protested against this move Aug 21: all contract workers thrown out-protest at the factory gate

Management locked out the factory, regular workers also thrown out

August 25: 20-25 local goons brutally attacked the factory workers


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The case of Viva Global

One worker was caught and abducted by the goons.

Accounts of Abducted worker: I was put in backside box of

a car. Lastly the car stopped and the goons closed my eyes

with some cloth before taking me out of the box. They took

me to a house and hit me with whatever they had till theyreceived directions on phone to take me to another place.

Thereafter they took me to a jungle and threatened to kill

me. But soon after they received directions on phone and

therefore they again put me in the same backside box of

the car and threw me out at Delhi-Gurgaon Border. As soon

as I reached my residence from there, the police also

reached there and took me to the Police Station and then to

the hospital and from there I again came to the place where

sit-in-protest of workers was going on.


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Collective Bargaining of Tea Company

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