Tea Plantation Labour in India evident from the fact that out of 84,915 labourers who landed thc.air weak physique. The result was the staggering mortality, which is 1863 to 1866, over 33,000 died within a span of less between than three years. .As if this misery and hardship was not enough, the labourers had to abide by the Act XIII of 1859, thatis, the Workman's Breach of Cont Act, which clearly protected the interests of the planters ract the labourer liable to Prosecution for any breach and rendered entered into by him either knowingly or in ignerance. of contract which was : 'ff‘?e Act IIT of 1'863, having met with failure, was amended in 1865. 1 18 new form, it prescribed minimum wages, limited the hours of Living Conditions of Tea Estate Labourers in Assam there has been little improvement in the condition of work, employment, wage, basic amenities, etc. until after independence. The post­independence saw some changes in the social structure of the plantation. To start with, there was change in the character of the government which was relatively more concerned to protect the interests of the workers. Hence, it made legislations from time to time with a view to safeguard and protect the interest of the workers. Some of these legislations were also applicable to the plantation. These were the Industrial Disputes Act 1947, the Factories Act 1948, the Minimum Wage Act 1948, the Plantation Labour Act 1951, the Employee's Provident Fund Act 1952, the Industrial Employment Act 1958, the Maternity Benefit Act 1961, the Payment of Bonus Act 1961, etc. Among the Acts affecting the garden workers, the most important was the Plantations Labour Act 1951, The Act made various provisions for the welfare of the plantation workers especially those concerning housing, sanitation and water supply in labour lines. The State Governments also set up Labour Bureaus which appointed a Labour Commissioner and Labour Officers to see to the implementation of the provisions laid down in the Act. Labour tribunals were also seutp to arbitrate on the cases of disputes. The Plantation Labour Act (PLA) enacted in 1951 was meant to overcome these problems. Yet: till today it has not been fully enforced. Even the basic requirement like housing remains neglected. The present study focuses on the conditions of tea garden labour in the backdrop of the above legislation. Labour Force: A Profile The State of Assam is marked by considerable divaréity—geographical, econtamic, social, political, etc. The same is reflected in the tea estates and its-workforce situated therein. The-economic conditions of tea gardens in different parts are far from uniform. Accordingly, the conditions of work, wage facilities, living conditions, and other amenities vary from estate to estate. It becomes difficult, therefore, to Pproject a clear pieture on the basis of studies carried out in a few tea estates. However, a general picture of the ‘position of tea garden labourers in the State of Assam is presented here for the benefit of researchers. In the tea estates of Assam, as elsewhere, thiree types of workers are usually employed. These are adult, adolescent and child, (See Table 2) 19