Lankan plantations closely watched by global entities for malpractices

• Report by The Guardian claims plantation sector workers struggling to deal with poor working conditions
• Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance say they take mistreatment of workers “very seriously”

Sri Lanka’s tea plantations are being closely watched by some of the world’s leading manufacturers, after an investigation from The Guardian highlighted poor working conditions and payments of workers.
A comprehensive report published by The Guardian this week shared that global entities, including Tetley and Lipton, are examining working conditions of Sri Lankan plantation sector workers, while trade certification schemes – Fairtrade and the Rainforest Alliance, are conducting inquiries.
The investigations kicked off after it was revealed that some workers attached to 10 certified estates could not afford food and were living in poor working conditions.
According to the report by The Guardian, tea pickers claim that support was not extended, as the country plunged into the worst economic crisis in history and that the supervisors are refusing to pay what is owed to them in full.
The outcome of the poor management is families in the tea plantation sector being pushed to skip meals and forced to send their children to work, the report said.

 Fairtrade, which certified three of the plantations visited, said it had referred The Guardian’s allegations to its independent certifier, Flocert and the Fairtrade protection committee, which oversees the safety of the children and vulnerable adults.
It asserted that the plantations were obliged by the Fairtrade Standard for Hired Labour Organisations to adjust wages to keep pace with inflation.
“Fairtrade takes allegations of worker mistreatment very seriously. Indeed, improving the livelihoods of workers in challenging regions is one of the reasons that Fairtrade was established,” the trade certification entity said in a statement.   Reflecting similar sentiments, the Rainforest Alliance said it takes the matter “very seriously” and would be conducting its own investigations.
“These investigations will inform next steps and appropriate action, which could include suspension or cancellation of the certificates of the tea estates in question,” said Rainforest Alliance South Asia Director Madhuri Nanda, as quoted by The Guardian. 
When reached out, the Planters’ Association (PA) of Sri Lanka denied all the allegations.
“We will respond to the accusations made against the plantations in due course with facts and figures,” a spokesperson for the PA said