In the past 33 years, there has only been an increase of 2 paise in the Dearness Allowance (DA) for as many as 3.5 lakh permanent plantation workers in Kerala, shows the reply to a Right to Information (RTI ) query by Munnar resident and former plantation worker Karim Ibrahim.
The workers from tea, coffee, cardamom, and rubber plantations have been included in the sector. A group of plantation workers from Munnar have filed a complaint to the Labour Minister demanding a meaningful increase in DA.
Mr. Ibrahim said that from 1990-2023, the DA for plantation workers in the State increased only by 2 paise. “The DA for State government officials has increased 37% in the past 10 years,” he said.
As per price index
“The DA for plantation workers is counted as per the price index prepared by the Economics and Statistics department. The documents secured from the State Statistics department showed that the basic point based on which the plantation workers’ DA is calculated increased from 400 points to 2,050 in the past two decades. But there has been no increase in the DA for plantation workers,” said Mr. Ibrahim.
“Considering the current points, the plantation workers should get a minimum of 22% DA. We filed a memorandum to the Labour Minister demanding an increase in DA. The trade unions have not yet demanded adequate DA for plantation workers in the Planters Labour Committee (PLC) meeting,” he said.
Union’s stand
President of the Munnar South Indian Plantation Workers Union, affiliated to the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), and PLC member A.K. Mani said that the trade unions had already demanded a timely increase in the DA and other allowances for plantation workers. “The PLC meeting effects timely revision in the wages and other allowances of plantation workers. All trade unions, especially the INTUC, always demand increase in wages for plantation workers,” said Mr. Mani.
“In the country, only in Kerala the plantation workers receive timely increase in wages and other allowances,” said Mr. Mani.
According to sources in the Association of Planters of Kerala (APK), the umbrella organisation of planters, the previous PLC meeting discussed increase in DA for plantation workers. “The meeting, however, decided to increase workers’ wages and postpone the DA hike considering the present situation in the plantation sector. The plantation workers are already receiving a minimum of 45% DA,” said the source.
According to plantation company sources, the companies have distributed PLC-approved wages and allowances for the workers in time. “The wages and other arrears are distributed to the plantation workers across the State as per the PLC direction. When the PLC meeting revises the DA, the plantation companies automatically provide it,” said the source.
