The Hindu Business Line : Lockout in 6 Kanan Devan divisions

"Unable to bear the loss due to this illegal and unjustifiable go slow, the company was forced to decide on lockout of these divisions as a last resort to curb further loss."

Kochi Sept. 27

, Kanan Devan Hills Plantation Company (KHDPC) has declared a lockout in six divisions of its three tea estates since the workers have been resorting to go slow tactics for the last 10 days, without any prior intimation or legal notice.

"Unable to bear the loss due to this illegal and unjustifiable go slow, the company was forced to decide on lockout of these divisions as a last resort to curb further loss," a statement from the company said. The workers have resorted to the go-slow demanding 20 per cent bonus this year and to effect the wage enhancement as per a notification issued by the Government of Kerala.

Go-Slow Tactics

A section of the misguided workers also indulged in aggressive and violent activities such as pelting stones at the Field Officer's house in one of the divisions and threatening other loyal and productive workers with ostracism and severe consequences, if they did not join the go-slow, the company said.

Earlier, the top management and its representatives met the union leaders, a cross section of employees and the workers representatives in the participatory management system followed in the estates to explain to them that the bonus due would be paid on due date and the rate of bonus would be determined strictly as per the Payment of Bonus Act.

Minimum Wage Notification

The management had also explained to them that since a case regarding the implementation of the Minimum Wage Notification was pending before the High Court of Kerala, the company could not take any independent decision on the subject.

Irrespective of the petition filed by the Planters Association in the Kerala High Court, the company was still willing to negotiate a reasonable wage hike with a handsome incentive scheme linked to tea prices and production.

The company reminded that tea leaves must be harvested on time at regular cyclical intervals, lest the crop become overgrown and useless for manufacture resulting in huge loss and quality deterioration. Unlike other plantations, KDHPC estates have been carrying out all agricultural operations to keep the tea fields productive.

Cropping Seasons

Also, September and October are among the high cropping seasons with the tea bushes yielding higher crops and the go-slow tactics adopted by these workers have already affected timely harvest of tealeaves leading to heavy loss. Since the company management felt that such illegal non-cooperation from a section of workers would further deteriorate the situation and mar the company's progress, the decision to lockout these few divisions was taken.

KDHPC was formed in April 2005 to make improvements in the loss making tea estates of Tata Tea in the high range. The company made nominal profits in the first year. Nevertheless, when most of the tea plantations in Kerala were still struggling for survival and many have already been closed down, KDHPC is one of the few tea companies in Kerala that has been paying wages on time and providing all statutory benefits to its more than 13,000 employees, the company said.

In addition to providing a substantial productivity linked incentive to its workers throughout the year, the company has also declared a 14 per cent dividend during its first year of operations.

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Lockout in 6 Kanan Devan divisions