The Hindu Business Line : An AGM turns `labour welfare' meeting

The week-long rains had taken a break and the workers in thousands congregated at the football ground of Silent Valley tea plantation division here for the AGM of the Kanan Devan Hills Plantation Company.

The temporary shelter built to hold the first AGM of what is possibly the largest participatory management company in the world had a capacity to seat 7,000 people. Streams of workers kept coming in jeeps, autos and on foot right through the meeting.

It was a boisterous crowd, dressed in their Sunday best, both passionate about their demands and their life-long association with the company. Fiery and passionate speeches were rendered demanding everything from wage revision, wage arrears, early bonus to better living quarters, sanitation and medical facilities.

It was an AGM with a difference with the workers whistling, jeering and applauding every demand made by one of their ilk.

The directors became mere spectators as the crowd took over the mikes and gave long and fiery speeches.

Some of the workers were at their sarcastic best asking why dental outpatients were only allowed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Are we not permitted to have toothache on other days, they asked. The meeting got protractedly delayed, as every worker wanted to have his say.

"It seems to have been more of a labour welfare meeting rather than a shareholders' meeting as the participants showed scant interest in the assets, liabilities, turnover, profit or dividend of the company. They will have to learn the difference between workers and shareholders and need to imbibe the true spirit of participatory management," a director of the company said.

After all the passion and fervour, the meeting seems to have passed without rancour on either side.