the price of tea

Britain is a nation of tea drinkers, but what goes in to that cup of tea we all love.
Tea plantations are predominately owned by British multinational companies, for example, Finlays, Brooke Bond, Duncan and Duncan.
In Sri Lanka, we recently visited two plantations and were disgusted and saddened by workers conditions.

Tea pickers are women paid 121 rupees (80 pence) a day for collecting 15kg of tea. Shifts are 8am-12 noon, 2pm-4pm, tea collected is weighed per individual and the worker is paid accordingly, ie, fast pickers can earn an extra 3 rupees per extra kg (1.5 pence). Though 65% of tea plantation labour workforce are tea pickers they account for only 30% of the total costs of production.

Pickers carry bags supported by the head causing neck and back strain [see pic 1], there is no sick pay. A cycle of poverty is maintained by company operations. Housing and small/shared plots of land are given to workers for agriculture, a system not dissimilar to that of feudal landlords. One plantation had a small basic health clinic and creche facilities. However another had no such service. A dispensary was reported to be in the village which gives paracetomol and 'coloured water' for every ailment.

So called 'Lines' plantation housing, seen by the company as a workers benefit, was inadequate and overcrowded. 4 or 5 houses in a block can house up to 40 people in extended families, each house no bigger than an average British garden shed. These families live in squallor with little sanitation -- one toilet per block, and one outside tap [see pic 2], with an unclean water supply.

Workers earn barely enough to feed/clothe themselves. A diet of rice and vegetables is only affordable. A bag of rice costs 45 rupees (nearly half a days wages). Fruit is too costly, meat and fish is eaten once a month on pay day.

Tea plantations are in mountainous areas where the climate is cold (and wet during the monsoons). All the children I met were full of cold and coughing. Poor health, poor diet, cold/damp housing and working like dogs all day, some workers resort to drinking 'arrack' a coconut spirit, to warm themselves. Alcohol abuse is reported by company supervisors to be the downfall of these people. Workers cannot AFFORD THE TEA THEY ARE PICKING, BEING GIVEN THE DUST SWEEPINGS OFF THE FLOOR from the lowest grade tea.

The major union representing planatation workers is the Ceylon Workers Congress. It has had ministerial postions in 4 governments since 1977. Its leaders live like kings in Colombo (capital of Sri Lanka) whilst the workers live in squallor.

This film highlights the exploitation of these workers but also shows attempts to organise new fighting unions. One way to fight the corrupt CWC has been to try to develop plantation workers centres providing free education and basic healthcare.

You can help the plantation workers centre by:

financially contributing to the plantation workers centre -- this is not an NGO and and will be run by workers and the union

paying a visit to the multinationals involved -- drop by their offices for a chat, buy a share and tell the shareholders how it is

ask your union to get hold of a copy of the film to show at your next meeting/conference (using the email address below)

if you have an 'indy' film night contact us for copy of the film and have a collection

The tea we drink in Britain is the lowest grade tea, blended for instant teabags, and we pay extortionate prices. So who's making the money and screwing us all, workers and consumers??


contact  plantationsupport@riseup.net


mpeg1 copy of the film available for download/distribution in 2 weeks or so

Munki&Muke Sheffield IMC, UK
Uncle, Australia