On International Tea Day, Tamil plantation workers in the island’s central highlands took to the streets of Nuwara Eliya to demand fair wages, land rights, and long-overdue recognition of their identity as Malayaga Tamils.
The protest, held on 21 May in front of the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council, highlighted decades of systemic neglect and exploitation faced by workers who have long sustained one of Sri Lanka’s key export industries.
The demonstration was joined by local NGOs, trade union activists, and civil society members, amplifying the demands of a workforce that remains among the most economically marginalised in the country. Protesters carried placards with slogans such as “Confirm our identity as Malayaga Tamils,” “We do not want multi-storey houses,” and “Do not bring the new Rural Development Authority under the ministry," making clear their opposition to state policies that have failed to address their lived realities.
The United Nations, which declared May 21 as International Tea Day in 2019, stated that the occasion is intended to "sustain the production and consumption of tea and raise awareness of its importance in the fight against hunger and poverty."
After gathering at the Municipal Council, the demonstrators marched to the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council Hall, where they continued to call for immediate action on their demands.
Activist K. Yogeswari, who participated in the protest, highlighted the severe challenges faced by female plantation workers in particular, noting that they are paid meagre wages despite their significant contribution to earning foreign exchange for the country.
“Women in particular contribute a lot to earning foreign exchange for our country," she said. "But today women are suffering a lot. Especially working women, most of them earn less than a thousand rupees. Everyone knows how they survive on that small salary. This is a big problem. Since they do not get a salary commensurate with their hard work, poverty always prevails in those families.”
She urged the authorities to address these issues immediately and to stop the ongoing violation of workers' rights. “Treat the workers with humanity,” she added.
Protesters also demanded the implementation of a single-family housing scheme that would provide plantation workers with their own land, along with measures to improve the educational opportunities available to their children.
Two years ago, Tetley and Lipton among other major tea manufacturers were investigating the working conditions on tea plantations in Sri Lanka following a Guardian investigation which revealed that workers were unable to pay for food and were living in unsanitary conditions. The investigation also revealed that estate owners provided workers with no support during the island's economic crisis. Workers reported that supervisors denied them pay. Tea pickers have stated that they have had to skip meals and send their children to work to compensate for their inadequate earnings.
