I N D E N T U R E D L A B O U R R O U T E

I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E

M A U R I T I U S O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4

Plantation Tamil Women in Sri Lanka – An Overview

Dr Chandrika SubramaniyanMA MPhil PhD LLB LLM MAICD

Solicitor and Barrister(Supreme Court of NSW and High Court of Australia)

Plantation Tamils in Sri Lanka

Today

BBC Report : current status of Plantation Tamils is worse than the status existed during British period

Badulla land slide October 2014 : best example

Landslide Badulla 2014

line houses of intIND. labour

BRITISH COLONISATION

early 1800 s5.4 % - population in Sri Lanka

EARLY HISTORY

WOMEN

Women and Workforce

75%-85% of the work force

KANKANIS

sub contracted – power abuse

recruitment of staff and management of staff

DESK TOP

Research basis

constraint in accessing the resources

geographical location of the author

T H E P O L I T I C A L S T A T U S O F P L A N T A T I O N T A M I L S

Characteristics of Plantation Industry

1948 disenfranchised stateless and without citizenship right

1964 Srimavo Bandaranaike –Shastri divided - three categories

• 525,000 - Indian-resident repatriates

• 300,000 -entitled to SL citizenship

• 150,000 residents statelessness would be addressed at a later date.

In 2000, - 300,000 Tamils continued to be stateless

POPULATION GROWTH?

Citizenship Act 35 of 2003

in three decades - population growth from 812,700 to 842,300?????

N. Sathiya Moorthy, the Director and Senior Research Fellow, Observer Research Foundation.

LIVE IN “LINE ROOMS”

The Living conditions

space constraintspoor sanitation conditions and no privacy

6-12 or 24 line rooms /one line no windows or ventilation

dark in naturehealth threats

POVERTY

Poverty among the plantation Tamils

2002 - poverty recorded - 7% above the national level

in the plantation sector -5% -the total Population of Sri Lanka lives

LABOUR AND WAGES

Wages in the plantation sector

workers and the management remained as “semi-bonded labour“

2011, raised the plantation daily wage from 405 to 515 rupees

CHILD LABOUR

Literacy rate in the plantation sector

37% - plantation children are in workforce

contravening the rights of the children : in international covenants :CRC, ICERC and CERD

Education : potential threat to the labour supply

NEGLECTED HEALTH FACILITIES

Health in the plantation sector

• no occupational health and safety measures

• pesticides - no safety measures• no proper medical facilities• no health literacy • sexual harassment

UNIONS VS FEMALE WORKERS

women workers in the plantation

unions are dominated by male leaderswomen do most of the tea plucking 10-12 hrsNo equal payNo structured hours of work and No work rightsno opportunity for female union leaders.No understanding : needs of the women

PHYSICAL VERBAL AND SEXUAL

Violence and harassment

violence sexual harassment

SYSTEMS NEEDED

Recommendations…….

constitutional guarantee to ensure that the people and children of the plantation community enjoy their basic rights

politicians and government should implement administrative reforms aiming to achieve social inclusion of the plantation Tamils

SYSTEMS NEEDED

Recommendations…….

Literacy programmes on citizenship basics, legal and voting rights

Appropriate health education programmes

Contd…..

SYSTEMS NEEDED

Recommendations……

Need for a special authority with empathy to address the issues such as women’s rights and human rights affecting the Plantation Tamil community

monthly wage system - includes medical assistance /allowances /insurances

SYSTEMS NEEDED

Recommendations……

special health service

Child protection measures

identify issues in relation to the children and address breaches of international covenants

HOUSING

Recommendations……

Needs improved living conditions :proper housing schemes with sanitation facilities.

D R C H A N D R I K A S U B R A M A N I Y A NM A M P H I L P H D L L B L L M M A I C D

S O L I C I T O R A N D B A R R I S T E R( S U P R E M E C O U R T O F N S W A N D H I G H C O U R T O F A U S T R A L I A )

M E D I A T O R – A U S T R A L I A

A R B I T R A T O R & M E D I A T O R – K U A L A L U M P U R

A R B I T R A T O R I N D I A N C O U N C I L O F A R B I T R A T A T I O N

THANK YOU