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| Sunday, 3 April 2005 |
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Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Sharp improvement in labour productivity of estate workers by Gamini Warushamana The training program to improve labour productivity of estate workers has shown excellent results. The pilot project was implemented at Hunasgiriya State Plantations in Elkaduwa. The aim of the program was to improve the labour productivity of tea pluckers and factory workers as well as improve their living standard. The workers were trained in technical and life management skills. Sixty workers selected through an interview were trained and their skills and performance were monitored. The project also monitored the impact of employing such skilled workers. The superintendent of the estate Priyanga Tennege said that the results of the project were impressive in that the quality of Hunnasgiriya Plantation's tea increased and the average price increased from Rs.129 to Rs.161 per kg. The quantity of higher grade tea produced by the estate increased from 74% to 83% after the training and the quantity of refuse tea declined by 4%. The quality of tea depends chiefly on the selection of the tea leaves when it is plucked as well as in the processing stage. Indrani (36), a plucker said that she saw the heap of leaves discarded on her visit to the factory during the training program and was disheartened because she too had plucked the same kind of leaf. The positive behavioral changes of the workforce are another important achievement of this project. Nisadi Somaratne, the convenor of the training program said that these behavioral changes increased the effective time at work and workers organised their personal activity schedules better. Personal cleanliness of workers and maintenance of higher standards of cleanliness in the factory improved after the training. Trained Kanganies (supervisors) created an environment conducive to work in the field. Higher aspirations of trained workers towards better prospects in the future and greater performance of trained unemployed youth to work on the estate are the other factors which contributed to improve labour productivity, she said. The cost of production of tea in Sri Lanka is the highest compared to other tea producing countries. This is attributed to the labour shortage and low labour productivity. Lower participation of youth in plantation work is the cause for the labour shortage. The project attempted to address the issue of labour shortage by changing the attitudes of the estate community towards estate employment. The training program was a collaborative effort of the Shakthi project of Care International, Plantation Development Unit of the Plan Sri Lanka, Tea Research Institute, Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training. Community development consultant Nisadi Somarathne developed the project concept. Project evaluation was done by Prof. Shantha K. Hennayake of the University of Peradeniya and officers of the Tea Research Institute (TRI). The ceremony to award certificates for trained workers was held recently in the Hunnasgiriya Plantation. CEO of the Estate Plantation Corporation Abeynanda Dias, the chief guest said that 23 estates at present under state management face a crisis. Fifteen of them have faced a financial crisis. "We are still practising methods introduced by British planters in 1876 and they are now outdated. Day the tea industry is moving away from large scale estates to small holdings. The contribution by large estates to the tea industry has reduced from 65% to 35% over a periof of time and today tea smallholders are dominating the industry", he said. Director of the TRI Dr. Z.Mohamed stressed the importance of implementing similar training programs in all estates in order to overcome the crisis. |
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