On 25th September coffee plantation workers convention held at kuvempu kala mandira Chikkamagaluru. Comrade R Manasayya Cpiml the Central Coordinator of TUCI, delivered a speech highlighting the neglect of coffee plantation workers in gathering of more than 22+ financial global banks 2000 coffee traders, dealers, planters from 80 countries and international coffee companies along with state govt and central government coffee board celebrating world coffee day at palace ground bangalore, No political party except TUCI has opposed this World Coffee Day.
The real producers of coffee in India are the workers on the coffee plantations. 73% of coffee comes from Karnataka (Chikamagaluru, Kodagu, Hassan, Shivamogga). India is the 7th-largest coffee producer in the world. In Malenadu, Karnataka, there are no laws that protect workers. The cost of a cup of coffee in Europe is more than the cost of a day’s wage for a coffee plantation worker in Karnataka.
Coffee plantation act 1951 is for labour wages, health, bonus with govt contribution. Coffee plantation planter should register to government plantation land, labours, women labours, labour health care housing and schools for labour children. Some sections of plantation act 1951 states that The provision of well-equipped hospitals is section-10 of the act, In section-14 the law that requires coffee planters to establish schools for the children of coffee workers. In section-19 There should be a compulsory canteen system for all workers working in plants with more than 100 workers Various sections of mentioned laws are disobeyed by planters and traders in Karnataka by engaged under contract work, contract labour, fixed-term contract system that violates the industrial dispute acts of the Karnataka state.
In order to combat this injustice, we need to organize the oppressed malenadu coffee plantation workers movement. The convention also passed resolution to intensify struggle with 10 important demands for Coffee Plantation Workers.
