Tea Plantation Labour in Indie cost. Cantefan facility is available in the factory but is generally leased to some private caterer and the workers are not too happy with the quality and cost of the canteen food. Canteen food is not subsidised. Higher Education High schools are located in Valparai, Mudis, and in Kallar. The employer d?es not provide any stipend or transport for the children going to the high schools. As a bulk of the workers belong to the Scheduled Castes, the workers avail of the scholarship facility. Since the commuting cost of the children is beyond the reach of the workers, this is the main reason for the high dropout rate from schools. The workers prefer to send thfair children to the high school at Valparai since it has a better reputation than the other schools. Wages The workers are classified into A, B, and C categories. A and B categories are daily rated and the C category is monthly rated on a time-scale, The categow and the skilled (1) (i) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vil) (viii) (ix) of Non-Staff(not directly workers are classified ag Drivers Ward-boy Ward-gir] Pump operators Tapal men Office peons Workshop workers Mechanics Iitters attached to the field A category. These or factory) include: The above category of workers are paid‘ as per daily The'workers in the field are classifi ed as B category major activities are: (i) Plucking (ii) Weeding rates. workers. Their - 102 Tea Plantation Labour in Tamil Nadu (iii) Pesticide spraying (iv) Pruning (v) Clearing the garden for fresh plantation (vi) Making pits for planting new saplings. Of the above-mentioned jobs plucking and weeding are generally carried out by women. The remaining works are entrusted to men. Men also do plucking and weeding when there is no other work. The field staff are monitored by the supervisors who are also considered as field staff and paid the daily rate wage. The other category of workers classified as C category of workers are those paid on a time-scale(scale of pay). These include: (i) Assistant Field Officer (i) Field Officer (1ii) Compounder (fv) Nurses (v) Office clerks (vi) Faétory Tea-malkers. There are three different wage patterns existing in this region. There is an association of the employers named the Annamalai Planters Association based in Valparai with its headquarters at Coonoor and the plantations which have an acreage of more than 100 acres are members of the association. This association entered into a wage settlement with the employees unions in 1992 which was valid till December 1995, t (i) Thoseplantations which are members of the Annamalai Planters Association(APA) pay at the rate of Rs. 39.80 per day for the adult and Rs. 26.98 per day for the adolescent as per the wage settlement made with the employees for the period upto 31 December 1995. Any boy or girl above the age of 15 and upto the age of 18is considered an adolescent. (ii) Those estates which are less than hundred acres are not members of the APA and hence they follow 4he minimum wages pattern 103