Sat May 10 14:56:45 UTC 2025: **Kerala Tea Estates Face Closure, Leaving 1,400 Workers Without Wages**
**VANDIPERIYAR, Kerala, May 10, 2025** – Seven tea estates in Vandiperiyar, Kerala, are on the brink of closure, leaving approximately 1,400 workers unpaid for five months. The estates, spanning 1,440 hectares and owned by the POABS group, have reportedly not seen any harvesting activity for months, exacerbating the financial crisis.
Workers from estates including Pambanar, Granby, Munjamullay, Nellikai, Thengakal, Injikadu, and Pasumallay claim they haven’t received wages or benefits since December 2024. This situation has created hardship for the workers and local vendors who rely on the plantation economy.
The POABS group, which acquired the estates in 2008 after a previous closure in 2000, is reportedly suffering from significant financial losses, estimated at ₹20 crore annually. Low tea production (1,200 kg per hectare compared to Munnar’s average of 3,300 kg) and insufficient income are cited as major contributing factors. A source within POABS suggests the company has been diverting profits from other ventures to cover the estates’ operational costs.
Following a failed meeting with Labour Minister V. Sivankutty on April 25th, workers, supported by the Kerala Plantation Workers Union (INTUC), initiated a self-help measure: harvesting and selling tea leaves independently. This action reportedly pressured the management into promising one month’s salary within a week. However, the long-term viability of the estates remains uncertain without government intervention. The union criticized the government’s lack of action in addressing the plight of the hundreds of affected workers.
Workers, many of whom have lived and worked on the estates for decades, express deep concern about their future and the disruption to their livelihoods. The situation highlights the precarious economic conditions faced by plantation workers and the urgent need for support from both the government and the company.
First Piper 