The Kanan Devan Hills Plantation Company (KDHP) is one of the main tea growers in Kerala. Owned by James Finlays and SOn until the mid-60’s when it went into partnership with Tatas who took over completely in 1983. Tata’s was seen as a benevolent employer who brought many improvements to workers’ housing and conditions. In the early 2000’s Tata’s realized that the real money was in tea packaging and marketing rather than cultivation. As a result, they embarked on the revolutionary (for the tea sector) idea of turning into an employee-owned enterprise. Workers were given training and supported in getting bank loans to buy shares in the new company, in which Tata’s retained a 28% share.
The company practices what it describes as a participatory management system with ‘Divisional Advisory Committees (DACs) set up to discuss issues relating to tea cultivation and management as well as social issues for workers. The DACs consist of workers as well as management. At least two of the labourers must be women. The company supports its workers with various perks under the Plantation Labour Act (PLA) and not only to supplement their income. Such arrangement appeared to work well until 2015, following an announcement that workers’ annual bonuses would be 10% rather than the anticipated 20%. Thousands of women went on strike calling themselves ‘Pempila Orumai’ – meaning #women’s unity’.