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Press Release
International Tea Day (ITD) with focus on the Rights of Women Workers in Tea Industry


On March 8th, the International Women's Day, "Empowerment of Women Workers in Tea Industry" was decided as the theme of International Tea Day 2008 in a meeting of the National level organisations of tea trade unions met at Circuit House, Kolkata. The meeting also decided to form a 15 member National Coordination Committee with Mr. P. A. Joseph, INTUC as Chairman, and Smt. Kumari Kujur, MLA as Convenor and Mr. Ashok Ghosh, UTUC as General Convenor.

The meeting decided to organise the international meet at Dooars from December 13-15, 2008. The participants decided to maximise the participation of women in this event by organising state and garden level activities all through the year. The meeting also constituted a Doars level Organising Committee with Mr. Manohar Tirkey, Minister of State for PWD as Convenor and Mr. Chitta Dey, Convenor, Coordination Committee of Tea Plantation Workers as the President.

Some of the issues the meeting decided for further deliberation and actions are as follows. Women constitute more than 60 per cent of workforce in Indian Tea industry. Unlike many other industries, women workers are the permanent workers in tea plantations and the houses are largely allotted in their name. Households revolve around the earning capacity of women workers. Yet, women workers continue to experience exclusion, discrimination and explicit violations of gender rights and human rights. Women continue to be denied leadership role commensurate to their contribution in the sector.

The meeting specifically pointed out the need for concerted effort towards raising consciousness on gender rights and increasing involvement of women in all spheres.

The meeting was attended by representatives of AITUC, Coordination Committee of Tea Plantation Workers, Defence Committee of Tea Plantations' Unions, HMS, INTUC, UTUC and CEC.


Kolkata March 08, 2008
J John


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