Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Commerce & Industry

07-May-2012 15:6 IST

Wages for Plantation Workers

The wages for plantation workers is fixed in tripartite agreements between the concerned State Government, representatives of Estate owners and Plantation labourers. In Kerala, the wages of workers engaged in rubber, cardamom and tea plantations have already been revised to Rs.265/-, Rs.215/- and Rs.180/- respectively. In closed plantations, relief measures such as marriage assistance, educational assistance, provision of drinking water facilities and treatment assistance have been taken to the workers through the Plantation Workers’ Relief Committee.

Establishments engaged in tea, coffee, rubber, cardamom, pepper, cinchona and mixed plantations, are covered under the Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and their workers who are enrolled as members get benefits of Provident Fund as admissible under the Employees’ Provident Fund Scheme, 1952, Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 and Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, 1976. However, plantation sector/workers are not covered under Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948.

As on 31.03.2011 the number of such covered establishments was 5,096 involving 4,00,909 workers as members of the Employees’ Provident Fund. As far as the State of Kerala is concerned, 1,099 plantations establishments are covered under Employees’ Provident Fund and 1,14,199 workers have been enrolled as members of the Fund. The compliance is regularly monitored through auditing of returns and periodic inspections by Enforcement Officers.

This information was given by Shri Jyotiradiya M. Scindia, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

DS/GK

Tripartite wage fixation governs plantation pay and provident fund coverage, while plantation workers remain outside state insurance. Wage levels for plantation labour are fixed by tripartite agreements among State Governments, estate owners and workers, with Kerala wage revisions noted; welfare relief for closed plantations is provided via Plantation Workers' Relief Committees. Establishments in various plantations are covered under the Employees' Provident Fund framework and enrolled workers obtain benefits under linked provident, pension and deposit-linked insurance schemes, while plantation workers remain excluded from the Employees' State Insurance Act; compliance is monitored through audits and inspections.