“We give our blood so they live comfortably” Pledge to boycott abusive tea farming practices – demand action from corporations perpetuating cycles of abuse and exploitation in rural Sri Lanka

Tea companies have a responsibility to the communities they profit from and the environment in which they operate. As consumers, our choices are intrinsically linked to the world around us.

From 1815 to 1948 Sri Lanka was a British colony, and its colonial planters enriched themselves off of Ceylon tea from plantations using Tamil indentured laborers brought over from South India. Even after British rule ended, tea plantations and their respective estates remained under the same ownership until 1972. Under their rule, control was exerted over school systems, intentionally preventing children from completing their education – keeping them trapped on tea plantations. 

Today, tea plantations are run by companies that lease land from the government. Their schools remain underfunded compared to the national Sri Lankan education system, with declining resources and high dropout rates. Cycles of exploitative violence continue, with communities reporting high rates of abuse, underpaid child labor, wage theft, and even forced labor.

Tea plantation workers are often denied payment, with 44% of families in tea estate areas remaining food insecure despite working long and harsh hours. “If we work 22 or 23 days, because of all the cuts we only get about 15, 16 days’ worth of pay. And then when they cut everything… they give us, there’ll be no salary left”, one tea plantation worker recounts.

Investing in communities and empowering workers is key to combating abuse, exploitation, and labor trafficking. Partners of the International Coalition Against Modern Slavery have conducted extensive research on the conditions of youth on Sri Lankan tea plantations, and how the lack of education access resulting from colonial rule continues to perpetrate the same cycles of exploitation. Currently, we are working with them to raise money for their plans to expand the capacity of their local school. Their proposed changes would ensure Tamil youth growing up on tea plantations in their community would have the opportunity to complete their education, which is key to reducing vulnerability to labor trafficking and other forms of abuse. You can donate to the campaign here.

We call on you to take the pledge and stand with Sri Lankan tea workers. Pledge to: 

1. Boycott non-fair trade tea. While fair trade labels are not a complete guarantee of abuse-free products, the fairtrade certification process is key in reducing exploitation.
2. Pressure tea companies to take action. We demand that tea companies ensure workers at each level of supply chains are paid fair wages, have safe working conditions, and have a protected right to organize. We demand that tea companies contribute financially to the communities they source from, clearly communicate how their tea is sourced, and implement sustainable farming practices.
3. To start with we request that the relevant tea company pay 15,000 USD towards the repair of the remote Puperessa school, the addition of two classrooms, a play area and a toilet block.  The school is here: https://g.co/kgs/Gij5yqB

We urge you to sign this pledge and continue demanding accountability for corporations enriching themselves off of human rights abuses.

Stand with Sri Lankan workers!

In solidarity,

The International Coalition Against Modern Slavery 

Sources:

Research conducted in the area

https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1377&context=dignity 

Overview of the context: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/may/23/we-give-our-blood-so-they-live-comfortably-sri-lankas-tea-pickers-say-they-go-hungry-and-live-in-squalor