Work, life and Sri Lankan tea plantations: decent work indicators and outcomes

Purpose – This article applies the International Labour Organisation's decent work indicators to employment within four Sri Lankan tea plantations. It seeks to answer three principal research questions: (1) How effective are the decent work indicators in evaluating work and living conditions? (2) How might decent work indicators be revised to assist more effective evaluation? (3) How might they contribute to strategies for improved work and living conditions, within a more sustainable tea industry? Design/methodology/approach – A multiple case study approach was adopted, including four tea plantation sites. Face-to-face interviews and discussions were conducted with workers and managers in each site, supplemented by follow-up interviews in one site. Findings – Decent work deficits remain widespread, with much employment remaining poorly paid and unsafe, alongside severely inadequate facilities for residents. Sri Lankan tea plantation workers and residents, particularly women, continue to suffer the enduring colonial legacy of exclusion from the wider economy and society. Decent work indicators require adaptation for the distinctive Sri Lankan tea plantation setting, to enhance their potential strategic contributions. Originality/value – This article applies decent work indicators to Sri Lankan tea plantations, drawing upon interviews with workers and managers. Its evaluation of decent work indicators leads on to strategic recommendations for tea plantations, in Sri Lanka and beyond.