23 May 2023

Fairtrade's response to Guardian article on Sri Lankan tea estates

An article published in the Guardian on 23 May 2023 reports on working conditions on ten tea estates in Sri Lanka, several of which are Fairtrade certified. Fairtrade takes allegations of worker mistreatment very seriously. Indeed, improving the livelihoods of workers in challenging regions is one of the reasons that Fairtrade was established.

As we shared with the journalist, we have referred the allegations to our independent certifier, FLOCERT, for follow up. We strongly encourage anyone with information about suspected violations of Fairtrade Standards to report them confidentially to FLOCERT, whether via their multilingual WhatsApp channel, website, e-mail, telephone or Skype.

There are many challenges in the tea sector in Sri Lanka, including low minimum wages, marginalisation of tea workers, and the colonial legacy of tea plantation systems. Issues such as health and safety protections, wages and other labour conditions, are covered under the Fairtrade Standard for Hired Labour Organisations. For instance, because plantations often provide services for workers, such as housing, certain deductions from wages are allowed under Sri Lankan law and the Fairtrade Standards. However, debt bondage is prohibited in both the main Fairtrade Hired Labour Standard and the product-specific Fairtrade Standard for Tea.

In general, if producer organisations are found to be in non-compliance with the Fairtrade Standards, FLOCERT will issue a non-conformity and, depending on the gravity of the findings, will sanction the farm accordingly (e.g. suspension, decertification).

We have also referred the allegations to the Fairtrade Protection Committee, and they have triggered our Protection Policy for Children and Vulnerable Adults. Fairtrade is not a protection agency. However, when allegations are made involving child labour, forced labour and/or gender-based or workplace violence and/or exploitation, we act in accordance with Fairtrade Protection Policy procedures. These procedures require us to undertake a rights-based assessment and, if confirmed, to safely report egregious violations to the appropriate national protection agency for further assessment and follow-up based on relevant and applicable law. We also encourage others to do the same and if they are unable to do so we offer to support in undertaking this task. We welcome an open communication channel to address the allegations and coordinate a response that causes no further harm to those affected.

The issue raised in the article about inflation and its impact on workers’ lives is very serious. We have recently written publicly about this. The Fairtrade Standard for Hired Labour Organisations requires plantations to adjust wages to keep pace with inflation. FLOCERT has been aware of risks related to wages in the Sri Lankan tea sector and is actively investigating.

All farmers and workers deserve to earn a decent living for what they produce. Fairtrade remains committed to pushing for improvements for workers, including towards living wages. It should be noted that sales of Fairtrade tea in Sri Lanka are relatively low; in 2021, only about six percent of the tea produced by Sri Lankan Fairtrade certified tea growers was sold on Fairtrade terms. Companies, governments and other actors must do their part to make living wages a reality for tea workers.