Strong brew: Tea estate worker-management brawl intensifies

The Ceylon Planters’ Society (CPS) has complained to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) about worker unrest in the upcountry tea estate sector.

The most recent incident was reported this week at the Talawakelle Tea Estate, which comes under the Maskeliya Plantation Company. During the incident, workers had allegedly assaulted the estate manager and two field officers inside a muster room, where the tea leaves are measured for weight.

The CPS has also requested the Government to intensify the night army patrols within the estate to avert threats posed by the workers. CPS Chairman Daya Kumarage told the Sunday Times that there have been regular clashes between estate management and workers. “During the latest incident, field officers and an estate manager were assaulted, and had to be admitted to the Nuwara Eliya Hospital. The manager was later transferred to the Sri Jayewardenapura Hospital for further treatment,” he said.

The workers however, blame estate management for bringing outside workers for tea plucking, thus reducing their earnings. However, Mr Kumarage denied these allegations.

The incident that resulted in the latest clash is reported to have resulted after a female estate worker allegedly threatened workers who had reported for tea plucking from outside the estate. Eleven estate workers, including two female workers, were arrested by the Talawakelle Police over the incident and were remanded till October 5 after being produced before the Nuwara Eliya Magistrate.

Workers in two nearby estates boycotted work on Friday in protest of the arrest and remand of the workers. Estate staff have also staged a protest against the alleged assault of fellow staff by the workers.

In February this year, there were violent clashes in several estates over the delay in resolving the plantation worker wages dispute. In one incident, a mob attack left two Regional Plantation Company (RPC) employees hospitalised in critical condition. In another incident, workers had poured cow dung mixed water on the manager and assistant manager of one of the estates.