Tea Plantation Labour in India used to hold community and trade union meetings, and also to play cards. In one plantation there is a volleyball court. There areno canteens in the plantation enclaves but the managements rent out a house or room to outsiders to run a small tea shop. Normally after the workers go over to the tea shop to pass their time, involve in gossip and read Tamil newspapers. , ’ Creches Creche facility is available in all plantations; ecne or two baby-sitters or ayahs look after children in the age-group of three months to five years. The creches are generally neat and clean. Children up to the age of three years are provided milk. Those above three years are given solid food, rice and curry. The ayahs oil and comb the hair of the children daily. Twice a year the children get ready-made shirts, shorts, and frocks from the management. The mothers bring their children in the morning to the creche on their way to work and pick them up in the evening on their way back. Eduecation Most plantations have elementary schools run by the management and sufficient number of teachers are appointed to the schools. The parents show enthusiasm in the childrens’ education and willingness to send them to school. For post-primary education the children go to high schools and higher secondary schools, both government and private ones, in nearby villages or towns. The distance to reach a high school or higher secondary school varies from one kilometre to over six kilometres. No financial assistance or transportation is provided by the management to the school-going children. This is a major cause for dropouts at the high school level. The medium of instruction in all government schools is Tamil, and both English and Tamil in private schools. Most parents would rather send them to Tamil medium schools, but opt for schools which are located closeto the plantations. ‘ Health HUSP.ital facility is not available on all plantations, but doctors are appointed and clinical facilities are ava_ilable on all plantations. The 88 Tea Plantation Labour in Tamil Nedu frequency of visits by doctors varies from daily to twice a weel. All permanent and temporary workers get medical aid free of cost. The dependents of these workers also get free treatment up to the age of 18 years, There is a provision for medical reimbursement, but tl}e management does not reimburse all the amount spent, only a part of it, negotiated by the trade union leaders if there is a dispute. Other Facilities Annual Leave; A permanent worker is permitted to take one day as . earned leave for every twenty-two days of work. Apart from all the government holidays the workers are also allowed to take sick leave. In many of the plantations the workers face practical problems in utilising this provision. The managements insist that the workers g_et medical certificates from the doctors to take sick leave. Butin a majority of the cases the frequency of the visits of the doctors is restxicted to two or three days a week. If a worker is not well and in case the doctor is not available on that particular day the worker cannot get the certificate. The total number of days of sick leave allowed is 16 per year but tl‘fe workers can get only two or three days a year. A pregnant women 18 allowed to take between 45 to 60 days leave. Once a year workers are allowed to go to their native places, during the lean season, between November and February. The worker gets second class train fare or the actual amount spent on travel to reach the native place. In addition Rs. 8 per day is paid as travel baita (aliowance) in the case of unslkilled workers, and Rs. 10 per day for the skilled employees. Butnow in many plantations the management insists on a nativity certificate from the village administrative officers of the village the worker wants to visit, to be eligible for travel allowance. This creates a difficult situation for the younger workers who were born and brought up in the Nilgiris. As these workers cannot get the nativity certificate they are unable to utilize the privilege their parents djd. Other Provisions Each worker gets a rough woollen blanket(Kattu kambili) for each year of service and another woollen blanket of finer quality for every. two years of service. To buy the sccond one the management allots only Rs. 80 per worker. If the price exceeds this amount the extra amount is collected from the worker’s wages. 89