250 000 tea plantation workers have decided to act to try and have their minimum daily wage doubled to approximately $4.50. Although they are still picking the crop, they are not allowing the tea to be transported away from the plantations. The three trade unions organizing this act are calling it a ‘non-cooperation exercise’, while the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon and the main tea traders’ association have both criticized the severity of these measures. According to the Ceylon Workers’ Congress, ‘poverty in tea plantations has increased from 22% to 32% since privatization of the plantation companies in 1992’.

Source : BBC.co.uk