Tea Plantation Labour in India . which cannot be justified. The main problem with this industry is that the relations between employers and workers are feudal in nature and under these circumstances the employers by and large refuse to reco.gnise\.vorkers as assets. This is perhaps why these people are denied their basic needs, such as proper wages, housing, education and recreational facilitieTsh.e trade unions too have not been able to puk forth these basic needs to the management. This is seriously impairing the cultural development of this isclated section of the working class. There is also a need to develop the areas around the plantations so that the employment opportunities can improve and the future generations are not totally dependent on the plantation for employment. References Bhowmik, Sharit, 1981, Class Formation in the Plantation System, Delhi, People’s Publishing House. Daval]a, S.arath {ed.), 1992, Employment and Unionisation in Indian Indusiry, Delhi, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. govemr.nent of India, 1966, Report of the Central Wage Board for the Tea lantation Industry, Delhi, Governinent Press. G‘?mfl}f’s Perceval, 1967, History of the Indian Tea Indusiry L;mdon Widenfeld and Nicolson, ’ ’ ;D.VZ. Rege, 19‘%6, Rep. ort of an Enquir3y on the Conditions of Tea Plantation abour in India and Ceylon, Delhi, Government of India. 80 CHAPTER 4 Tea Plantation Labour in Tamil Nadu | MA. Kalam This study was conductedin the Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts of Tamil Nadu during May-June 1995. In the Nilgiris 120 households, comprising a population of 555 (284 men and 271 women), of tea plantation workers were covered in all the four taluks, namely, Kottagiri, Ootacamund, Coonoor and Gudalur. In Coimbatore district, tea is grown only in Annamalaj hills in Valparai taluk. In Valparai 110 households (250 men and 255 women, that is, a total population of 505) were covered. Thus a total of 230 households comprising 1060 individuals were studied. (Table 1) The average household size is 4.61 for the entire sample; it is 4.63 for Nilgiris district and 4.59 for Coimbatore district. ‘ TABLE 1 ' Number of Households (Hhs) and Population District . Hhs. Men Women Total Pop. Av, Hh size Nilgiris ­120 984 271 Coimbatore 110 250 265 555 4.63 505 4,59 Total 230 534 526 1060 4.61 In. Nilgiris the survey was conducted on 25 workers, drawn from 11 households in Coonoor Taluk, who do not work on plantation but in the tea gardens of small growers (less than 15 acres), Of these 10 are men and 15 are women, 24 are temporary and only one male worker is The author was assisted in his research by P. Thamizoli and B. Selvaraj.