Houses for plantation community soon - State Minister K.Velayutham

By P. Krishnaswamy

State Minister of Plantation Industries K.Velayutham, a veteran trade union leader and General Secretary of the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers' Union (LJEWU) told the Sunday Observer in an interview that the program on housing for the plantation workers and allotment of seven perches of homestead land is one of the primary commitments of the present National Unity Government and the implementation process will be started during the government's 100 day program. He also spoke on many of the government's measures to address other important livelihood issues relating to the plantation workers.

State Minister of Plantation Industries K.Velayutham

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: What preliminary steps are to be initiated, during the 100 day program, over the government's commitment towards resolving the housing problem of the plantation community?

A: One of the major responsibilities entrusted to my ministry is to identify suitable lands in the plantations for the construction of houses for the workers, in keeping with the government's commitment.

I must mention here, at the outset, that decent houses for the plantation workers has been a crying need for the last over 200 years.

This is in spite of the fact that the Indian origin community has contributed for the overall development of the country and they shed their sweat and blood for the tea industry which remained the backbone of our foreign exchange for several decades. But, unfortunately, they have no houses on their own and also they do not have ownership rights to homestead plots or lands.

A large majority of them continue to live in barrack type of line rooms, only with re-roofing or modifications done from time to time. This line-room culture has to be eliminated forthwith.

The previous UNP government, 20 years ago, took many steps towards achieving that objective.

One was the setting up of the Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT) which was a tripartite mechanism involving the government, management companies and the trade unions of the plantation workers.

During its 20 year operations the PHDT has been able to build about 31,000 houses for the workers, of course on a soft loan basis. Most of the loans have been repaid and the houses and their ownership have been given to the respective families.

At that time, the then UNP government had also decided to allot seven perches of land to each worker's family for them to build their own houses.

Successive governments did not pursue the matter and the homestead land issue remains a major unresolved issue.

But the incumbent government has included it in its 100 day program in an effort to fulfill its commitment on resolving the housing problem of the plantation community.

We have already held several rounds of discussions with CEOs of the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs), with the Janatha Estates Development Board (JEDB), the State Plantations Corporation (SPC), trade unions representing the workers and also with the PHDT.

Our next meeting on the matter is scheduled for next Thursday with our cabinet minister Lakshman Kiriella in the chair. The CEOs of the RPCs will also be there at the meeting.

The process of listing the beneficiaries will follow after the conclusion of the initial procedural methods. Since it is not possible to give seven perches of land to all the deserving families simultaneously, we will begin the implementation process in Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Hatton, Kandy and other places in all plantation regions within the 100 day program to be continued thereafter.

Q: The Government of India is to provide some 4,000 houses for the plantation community out of their 50,000 housing program for the Sri Lankan Tamils. When will this program start?

A: The proposals on India's housing program for the plantation workers came up about two years ago and there have been a series of discussions.

The program, however, was getting delayed for one reason or the other. The Indian High Commissioner in Colombo, the Minister of Estate Infrastructure Development P. Digambaram, the State Minister for Education V. Radhakrishnan , the leader of the Democratic People's Front Mano Ganeshan and myself attended a recent discussion on this matter and it was agreed that we will immediately find suitable lands for the 4000 houses. Some 15 locations remained identified already and we will identify other suitable locations.

The housing program of the Government of India will start immediately during the 100 day program of the government. With regard to the housing scheme for the people affected and uprooted in the most tragic Meeriyabedde landslide in Kosland, the previous government had identified a location.

But the affected people are not happy with that location because it is far away from access roads and there are also other problems including schooling of their children. Consequently, we have now identified an alternative land for the housing projects and all reports on it have been received.

Minister Digambaram and I are visiting the location in Poonagala, Mahakanda. This housing program also will come up immediately during the 100 day program of the government.

Q: The previous government was of the stand that no tea bushes will be allowed to be uprooted even for giving homestead lands for the workers. What is the position of the present government on that?

A: Homestead lands will be given to the estate workers. There are enough lands that are suitable for the housing projects. So we will identify suitable lands for the projects.

The lands that we have now identified for the landslide-affected families in Poonagala have all facilities including running water and other infrastructure facilities. In fact the RPCs are very cooperative and they helped in identifying the lands for the Indian housing. Therefore all these works will be started and completed soon.

Q: There have been widespread protests in the plantation areas orchestrated by plantation trade unions against the flat-types of houses proposed by the previous government. What type of houses does the present government proposes to construct for the workers?

A: The previous government has been proposing only barrack type of upstairs houses. As you know, there are several types of upstairs houses.

In the Hatton and Talawakelle areas you can see the upstairs houses which are like placing a set of line-room quarters on the top of another one. Our houses for the plantation community will never be like that. Everywhere we will be promoting the concept of single unit houses.

That will be our first priority. There will also be upstairs houses but separately for each family with two entrances, with plots of lands on either side and not adjoined to another housing unit. It will be in a beautiful setting with lands surrounding and no disturbances from the neighbours.

This model and other suitable models are under consideration. The models are designed for a township, with schools, shopping complexes and other infrastructure facilities coming in due course. This is the government's concept.

Q: An acute labour shortage in the plantations has been reported over and again posing a threat to the long term sustainability of the industry. Does the government have any plans to address this problem?

A: As a trade-unionist representing the plantation workers for several decades and holding constant discussions with the plantation management companies, I agree that this issue is assuming larger dimensions.

This is partly due to the fact that when their children get educated and they associate with other communities, some among the plantation families begin to dislike manual jobs in the plantations. They want to go away to urban areas seeking a better way of life.

I think that the plantation management companies and other stake holders in the tea industry should conduct a study and work on programs that will change the thinking pattern of the workers, provide them new inducement and give them a sense of dignity so that they will prefer life in the plantations to life in the urban areas.

A lot of economic activities will have to be started in the plantations to prevent the youth from leaving.

Q: Most of the estates under the management of the JEDB and the SPC are running at a loss according to reports, with the statutory dues and other dues including the EPF and ETF of the workers unpaid for many years. The previous government released an amount to the tune of Rs.01 Billion to pay some of the dues, according to reports. What is the present government's plan on such ailing estate agencies?

A: We have records and documents on this issue. The JEDB and the SPC had not paid EPFD, ETF and other statutory dues of the workers from 2002 although recovered from the wages of the workers.

Even TU subscriptions and amounts on repayment on bank loans have been withheld.

The amounts run into billions of rupees. We have held discussions with the Chairman of the JEDB, the Elkaduwa plantations and other stakeholders. The managements worked on proposals to dispose of trees of high timber value to settle the dues of the workers.

But this was not successful because all establishments, including the Timber Corporation and private sector had undervalued them and bought them much lower prices.

We have now called for a report from the JEDB and the Elkaduwa plantations.

We will be formulating a plan soon to settle the dues of the workers. The information that the previous government paid Rs.01 Billion or more for settling the dues is not correct as far as I am aware.

Q: There have been proposals that tea lands of the loss-making estates should be distributed among the workers of the respective estates to offset the payments due and to make them profit-making. Your comments?

A: Still we have not taken any decision on that. But we will be conducting a study. We have called for a report from the Chairman of the JEDB and other government managed plantations. We will do a study on what are the viable areas, the non-viable areas and things of that sort.

Q: Programs on ensuring the long-term sustainability of the tea industry has been in implementation, including subsidies for re-planting and fertilisers. Are there any plans to increase the subsidy amounts?

A: We are at present involved with the 100 day program and we have advised the authorities concerned to submit us reports on other matters relating to the industry.

Incidentally, when the estates were given on lease to the private sector, the undertaking was that seven percent of the tea estates will be replanted.

Every company has to replant at least three percent of the tea estates every year. But not even .7 percent is being replanted by some. So those people will be taken into task.

Q: When a Rs.10,000 salary increase to the state sector employees was announced by the present government, you wanted an increase of at least Rs.2500/- to the plantation workers. Can you clarify your position on that?

A: I have recommended a monthly wage increase of Rs.2500/-. It is only a recommendation.

The recommendation is not only for the plantation workers but for the entire private sector employees.

The wages of the plantation workers are decided in terms of the Collective Agreement (CA) under the collective bargaining process. For the private sector there are 44 wages board bodies and for them to come to a conclusion it will take many months.

Speaking on the budget I had suggested that there should a special legislation that will facilitate salary increase to the private sector, concurrent to the salary increase to the state sector. If such legislation is in existence the private sector will not take decisions at their whims and fancies.

Q: Coming to the question of collecting bargaining, only three unions - the CWC, the LJEWU and the JPTUC - are considered as having the required percentage of membership for negotiations with the Employers' Federation. Will the other unions that now hold important positions in the government be included for the negotiations?

A: It is a matter on which the Employers' Federation has to take a decision. However, there are more than 70 unions among the plantation workers and all of them cannot be invited to the negotiating table.

But in my case as General Secretary of the LJEWU, I have always made it a point to discuss such matters with leaders of all other unions before beginning the bargaining process.

The CA is expiring in March this year but whatever decision on wage increase is arrived at even on a much later date it will be implemented with retrospective effect, as from the date of expiry of the present CA.

Q: Has the government deferred the appointment of 3000 Assistant Teachers among the plantation community?

A: The Education Minister has already taken steps to short list the candidates. There have been more than 21,000 applications. About 9,000 have been shortlisted for the interviews.

All those who are found eligible will be appointed before long.

Q: Does the government have programs to promote IT education among the plantation students?

A: Programs are there already. It is one important aspect of the present day education. Without IT education, the youth cannot find employment opportunities. So the government is taking all steps necessary for imparting IT education. It will be promoted.