Social Consequence of the Crisis in the Tea Industry of North Bengal

India is the largest consumer and second largest producer of tea in the world. It is a highly labour-intensive industry with 50 % concentration of women workers. However, over the years, tea gardens of India have undergone severe crisis due to low productivity of labour, increasing social cost of production, and fall in tea prices, competition in the world markets and high domestic consumption, removal of tariffs with trade liberalisation. With all the crisis laborers are struggling with the closure and non-payment or curtailment of wages, bonus, gratuity, provident fund and others statutory benefits. The working and living condition of the workers in most of the tea garden is very deplorable and poor and have resulted in forced migration, malnourishment and even death in many cases. The Government failed to provide any meaningful support or alternative to resume work in closed tea gardens. The condition of the workers working in the gardens is worse and insecure and remains unheard and ignored by the plantation owners and the Government.