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| Sunday, 27 October 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Estate sector taps on human resource development by Chamikara Weerasinghe Estate managers faced with the challenge of having to ensure the steady sustenance of the plantation sector, are drawing up new initiatives to attract workers, who over the years had lost interest in their work. Many had left the plantations to seek other sources of income. They settled in the garments, building constructions and telecommunication sectors. Besides, children of estate workers have also shown reluctance to follow their parents and work in the estates. "The plantations are managed as in the colonial days, but the gap between the workers and managers has been narrowed," said Bhathiya Bulumulla, Manager of the Elpitiya estate. Manager, Deviturai estate, Geeth Kumara commenting on the present situation said that planters were facing an uphill task to get people for manual work in plantations. Focusing on upgrading the quality of life of the workers, plantation managers have introduced human resource development programmes. A successful change has now been effected to run the industry smoothly. Private managers of plantations now focus on developing close relationships with workers. The Elpitiya plantations, managed by Aitken Spence Plantation Management Limited, is proving to be a good case study. Comforts enjoyed by workers in the low country estates, Elpitiya, Deviturai and Talgaswella, are the result of innovative programmes inaugurated by the Aitken Spence management team. Housing, income generation, child care, health care, many loan schemes and special allowances for weddings, accidents and funerals, are some of benefits enjoyed by them. Annual sports festivals, Christmas parties, new year festivals, staff trips, family get-togethers and award ceremonies, have also been organised on behalf of the workers. The expenses are borne by the company. Geeth Kumara, manager of Deviturai estate, had arranged a visitors' room for workers who want to meet officials. Geeth Kumara said, workers are now disciplined and their respect to the management has also increased." In Elpitiya estate, manager Bhathiya Bulumulla has set up a co-operative shop where workers can buy their daily needs on credit. The goods are sold at lower prices. Rupasinghe, a worker, who had come to purchase his requirements from the co-operative outlet said, "We need not go behind money lenders or beg from mudalalis. We can now purchase from the co-operative shop." Plots of lands have been given free of charge to many workers to put up their own houses, and the management has introduced soft housing loan schemes for the workers. The Manager of Talgaswella estate, Prema Opanayake said that award ceremonies and staff trips were organised by the management to build the image of the workers." "The best tappers, sundry workers, kanganis and crop achievers now get their share of cash prizes and gift vouchers at the annually held award ceremonies," he said. Deviturai and Talgaswella estates are equipped with a number of child activity centres or creches. The management of Talgaswella estate, had recently organised a programme to legalize marriages of elderly workers to ensure that their EPF and ETF go to legal beneficiaries. In Deviturai estate, the management has constructed a Sunday Buddhist School or "Dharma Mandira" as many would call it. " We have introduced book donations, drinking water projects and scholarship awards to upgrade the worker life," Deviturai estate manager Kumara said. |
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