Problems Faced by Women Tea Plantation Workers in Performing Their Duties

Abstract

In the present study, it is operationally defined as the inconveniences faced by the women tea plantation workers in performing various tasks at the tea garden or tea garden factory. Their tasks include; plucking of tea leaves, weeding, nursery work, column cutting, cleaning of drains and other factory work etc. The study was carried out in Jorhat district of Assam. Four (4) tea gardens under public corporation from Jorhat subdivision were selected using purposive sampling method. A total of 100 women tea plantation workers were selected for the present study. The major findings revealed that insufficient wage was ranked I with mean score (2.99), lack of toilet facilities at work was ranked II with mean score (2.95), no provisions for protective gears at work was ranked III with mean score (2.82), back pain due to carrying of tea baskets for a long time was ranked IV with mean score (2.45), cuts and rashes on fingers and palm due to plucking of tea leaves was ranked V with mean score (2.43).

Full text

98 Indian Res. J. Ext. Edu. 21 (2&3), April & July, 2021
Problems Faced by Women Tea Plantation
Workers in Performing Their Duties
Toko Jumi1, Sayanika Borah2 and Manju Dutta Das3
1. PG. Student, 2.Asstt. Prof., 3.Prof., Department of Extension & Communication Management, AAU, Jorhat.
Corresponding author e-mail : jumibieber@gmail.com
Paper Received on February18, 2021, Accepted on March 30, 2021 and Published Online on April 01, 2021
ABSTRACT
In the present study, it is operationally defined as the inconveniences faced by the women tea plantation workers in
performing various tasks at the tea garden or tea garden factory. Their tasks include; plucking of tea leaves,
weeding, nursery work, column cutting, cleaning of drains and other factory work etc. The study was carried out in
Jorhat district of Assam. Four (4) tea gardens under public corporation from Jorhat sub-division were selected
using purposive sampling method. A total of 100 women tea plantation workers were selected for the present study.
The major findings revealed that insufficient wage was ranked I with mean score (2.99), lack of toilet facilities at
work was ranked II with mean score (2.95), no provisions for protective gears at work was ranked III with mean
score (2.82), back pain due to carrying of tea baskets for a long time was ranked IV with mean score (2.45), cuts and
rashes on fingers and palm due to plucking of tea leaves was ranked V with mean score (2.43).
Key words: Problems; Women; Tea Plantation; Workers; Duties;
Women make essential contributions to the
agricultural and rural economies in all developing
countries. Rural women often manage complex
households and pursue multiple livelihood strategies
(Biradar, 2021). Tea plantation requires a huge number
of labour forces. The women tea plantation workers
are significant for the industry as they form almost 50
per cent of the total workforce in the tea industry in
Assam (Baishya, 2016). Despite having an equal share
in the work force they are paid less than their male
counterparts. Their main task involves manual plucking
of tea leaves which is considered to be one of the most
cumbersome duties in a tea garden. Other tasks include
weeding, manuring, pruning of tea bushes, transplanting,
nursing young tea saplings etc. Women labourers
working in tea factories are also engaged in shorting of
tea leaves, cleaning of the tea factory and other manual
works. Women pluck tea leaves with their bare hands,
as a result, they are exposed to certain chemicals
sprayed on tea leaves which affects their health. In
addition to that tea gardens during summers are prone
to snakes which can be a threat for these women
plucking tea leaves for hours likewise, during winters
and rainy seasons mosquitoes and frogs come into play.
With improper maternity leave, women workers even
during their pregnancy have to work in the field so that
their wage is not missed. Also, a few days after the
delivery of the baby, women are expected to be
immediately present in the field to work (Saikia, 2008).
In the tea plantation sector, women tea plantation
workers have designated the bottom position in
functional and social stratum.
METHODOLOGY
sampling and simple random sampling method was
followed for the present study. Four (4) government
tea gardens from Jorhat sub-division were selected using
purposive sampling method. A total of 100 women tea
plantation workers were selected randomly using a
simple random sampling method. The personal interview
method was applied for the collection of primary data
with the help of the structured interview schedule which
was prepared according to the objectives of the study.
Data were analysed using percentage, mean, standard
deviation and ranking.
The independent variables incorporated in the
RESEARCH NOTE

Indian Res. J. Ext. Edu. 21 (2&3), April & July, 2021 99
present study were selected based on substantial
literature review and discussion with resource persons.
For quantitative measurement of variables, a structured
interview schedule was designed for the present study.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Personal profiles: Table 1 shows that majority of
respondents (45.00%) were under the age group young
category i.e. 18-30 years followed by lower middle
(40.00% ) i.e., 31-43 years and Upper middle (45-56)
years was Similar findings was reported by Debnath
and Debnath (2017) where they found that majority
of the respondents belonged to young age category
followed by lower middle and upper middle category.
The educational status of the respondents revealed that
the majority of the respondents (52.00%) were illiterate
followed by primary level (24.00%) and middle school
level (18.00%). A very less percent of respondents
studied up to class X (5%) and HSLC passed (1.00%).
Similar finding were reported by Ansari and Sheereen
(2016), Sharma and Bhuyan (2016), Ruma and
Dipak (2014). Where they found that majority of the
respondents were illiterate. The monthly income of the
respondents was majorly seen between (Rs. 4492- Rs.
5012) followed by (31.00%) of them earned (Rs. 3971-
Rs. 4491) per month and (19.00%) of the respondents
earned (Rs. 3540- Rs. 3970) per month.
Conservatism- liberalism: It can be noted from Table
2. that majority (63.00%) of the respondents had
medium level of conservatism and liberalism followed
by (21.00%) of them had medium level of conservatism-
liberalism and very less number of respondents i.e.
(16.00%) had low level of conservatism- liberalism.
Hence, it can be concluded that the women tea plantation
workers are neither too conservative nor too liberal.
This may be due to widening the areas of thoughts and
slowly moving towards progressive thinking by the
women tea plantation workers.
Problem faced by women tea plantation workers:
The data in Table 3. reveals that insufficient wages
ranked I with mean score (2.99), followed by lack of
toilet facilities at work ranked II with mean score (2.95),
no provisions for protective gears at work ranked III
with mean score (2.82), back pain due to carrying of tea
baskets for long time ranked IV with mean score (2.45),
cuts and rashes on fingers and palm due to plucking of
tea leaves ranked V with mean score ( 2.43), inadequate
crèche facility ranked VI with mean score (2.37), Huge
distance between work place and house ranked VII with
mean score (2.30), inadequate maternity benefits ranked
VIII with mean score (2.29), management pressure to
meet work targets ranked IX with mean score (2.24),
work under heavy rain and sunlight ranked X with mean
score (2.10), poor drinking water facility ranked XI with
mean score (2.09), poor first aid facility ranked XII with
mean score (1.48), slippery and wet work area ranked
XIII with mean score (1.91), prevalence of snakes and
poisonous frogs at work place ranked XIV with mean
score (1.71), exposure to field sprays ranked XV with
mean score (1.48), heavy noise at work place raked
XVI with mean score (1.42).
The findings indicated that the wages given to the
Table.1. Personal profile of women tea plantation workers
Variables Categories (%)
Age Young (18-30) 45
lower middle (31-43) 40
upper middle (44-56) 15
Educational Illiterate 52
Qualification Primary 24
Middle 18
Up to X 5
HSLC 1
Monthly (Rs. 3540- Rs. 3970) 19
income (Rs. 3971- Rs. 4491) 31
(Rs. 4492- Rs. 5012) 50
Table.2. Distribution of respondents according to their percentage of conservatism-liberalism
Statements SA A D SD
Marriage within one’s own caste should not be pursued and intercaste marriage should be favoured 9.00 14.00 30.00 47.00
More problems get involved when one adopts improved farm and home practices - 14.00 79.00 7.00
One should pay proper attention to arguments forwarded by young, if ready to accept them 17.00 83.00 - -
Women should wear traditional not ultra modern dress 28.00 60.00 12.00 -
The legalisation on abortion is nothing but short of sin 13.00 57.00 30.00 -
Women should not confine to homes and they should go out and work in the factories and fields 22.00 78.00 - -
SA=Strongly agree, A=Agree, D=Disagree, SD=Strongly Disagree

100 Indian Res. J. Ext. Edu. 21 (2&3), April & July, 2021
women tea plantation workers are so less that it is
insufficient for their family as the prices of items for
daily living have been increasing day by day. In violation
of Plantation Labour Act 1951, the women tea plantation
workers are not paid the actual wage as the management
deducts some amount of money from their actual wage
in the name of providing various other facilities to them.
The findings highlighted that the women often go
deep into the tea bushes for natural calls and are prone
to various infections and other risks. It was also found
that in the sample tea gardens the women tea plantation
workers were not provided with any kind of protective
gears while working which made it difficult for them to
work at tea garden by increasing the risk while working
at the tea garden. Back pain due to carrying tea baskets
was most commonly observed as a problem. It was
observed that the facilities provided at tea garden by
management were not up to the mark it was seen that
poor drinking water facility, inadequate maternity leave,
poor crèche facility, poor first-aid facility and
management pressure made it difficult for the women
tea plantation workers to perform their duties at the tea
garden. This study is supported by Banik (2015) and
Borah (2013).
CONCLUSION
Women tea plantation workers are one of the
significant features in the tea industry as half of the
workforce are women. Studying the problems faced by
them will check the lags that women are facing in this
vast tea plantation sector and accordingly renovations
in current policies and programmes can be made to
improve their status. The main finding was that wages
received by them were very less and it was ranked as
the number one problem.
Table.3. Distribution of women tea plantation worker
according to problem faced by women tea plantation
workers in performing their duties (N=100)
Problem MS Rank
Wages are insufficient for family 2.99 I
Lack of toilet facility at work place 2.95 II
No provisions for protective gears at work 2.82 III
Lots of mosquitoes and other insects 2.45 IV
Back pain due to carrying of tea baskets 2.45 IV
for long time
Cuts and rashes on fingers and palm due to 2.43 V
plucking of tea leaves
Poor crèche facility 2.37 VI
Long distance between work place and house 2.30 VII
Inadequate maternity benefits 2.29 VIII
Management pressure to meet work targets 2.24 IX
Work under heavy rain and sunlight 2.10 X
Poor drinking water facility 2.09 XI
Poor first aid facility 2.05 XII
Slippery and wet work area 1.91 XIII
Prevalence of snakes and poisonous frogs at 1.71 XIV
work place
Exposure to field sprays 1.48 XV
Heavy noise at work place 1.42 XVI
REFERENCES
Ansari, S.; Sheereen, Z. (2016). Socio- economic condition of tea garden worker in Alipurduar district West Bengal. Intl. J. of
Res. in Social Sci., 6 (2): 494-498.
Baishya, D. (2016). History of tea industry and status of tea garden workers of Assam. Intl. J.of Applied Res., 2 (9): 552-554.
Banik, P. (2015). Food security and migrant women workers: a study of tea estate in Assam. South Asian J. of Multidis.Studies
(SAJMS), 2 (3): 153-155.
Biradar, S. (2021). Perceived drudgery of farm women involved in agricultural activities. Indian Res. J. of Ext. Edu., 21 (1): 103.
Borah, N. (2013). The rights of women workers in the tea gardens of Assam. The Clarion, 2 (2): 129-130.
Debnath, S. and Debnath. P. (2017). Socio-economic condition of tea garden workers of West Tripura district with special
reference to Meghlipara tea estate. Intl. J. of Humanities & Social Sci. Studies (IJHSSS) 6 (1): 252,257-258.
Ruma, N. D.; Dipak, N. (2014). Educational vulnerability and risk factors of tea garden workers with special reference to Dewan
tea grden village, Cachar, Assam, India. Intl. Res. J. of Social Sci., 3 (9): 17-18.
Saikia, B. (2008). Development of tea garden community and adivasi identity politics in Assam. The Indian J.of Labour Eco.,
51 (2): 307-317.
Sharma,A.; Bhuyan, B. (2016). Livlihood pattern among the tea garden labourers; Intl. J. of Adva. Res., 4 (8): 1609-1610.




