The general rule is that social standards on tea plantations are better compared to other industries although you also have the typical problems of Indian rural society (low education, religious/ethical/cast tensions, limited jobs, low health/hygien, etc.).
The social status quo is:
No open child work like e.g. in the carpet and/or textile industries
Strong and well organized unions negotiate payments (the relatively low basic payment is topped by quite an extensive bonus - system not only for money but also housing, food, energy etc...
Larger plantations have often the higher social standards than smaller units: Generally the big players like the tea departments of Tata (TTL) etc. do good social development in their gardens. On the otherhand workers of some smaller family owned gardens face bigger problems to get paid their bonus and other extras which are normally pre-negotiated with the unions. Normally manager and workers come to agreement only sometimes strikes occur to get higher payments and bonus payment done ect. In some cases the owner abandons the garden because no profit was possible anymore. In such cases sometimes the regional or central government takes over.
Outside interference into the plantation business is very complicated because the social net between Workers, Managers and Owners as well as Local Unions and Local Politics, ethnical and religious groups, etc. is always trying to get you involved for one or the other side.
Small growers, also small tea growers exist opposite of the common believe but they produce tea only for the local market because they normally lack the experience of manufacture tea in fabrics etc. The fair trade movement could help. But small grower tea won`t come to Europe if you wait till the family plantation owners sponsor this idea who see in small growers normally nothing but competitors. Only if importers (maybe with the help of the fair trade movement) have direct regional contacts the tea quality of small growers could develop export quality. Local and regional Government bodies are supporting this approach very much. By the way TopQualiTea is working on a `small grower factory project` the minute...
Social Premium/ Infrastructure Funds
Help for Self Help Funds
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